Further Kokako Release
On Saturday 29th May, two kokako from Tiritiri Matangi Island were released at Ark in the Park, near the Waitakere dam. Around 75 Ark volunteers and supporters joined Waitakere Branch Forest and Bird representatives, ARC staff, and iwi representatives to welcome these birds to their new home.
The birds are a male and a female, and it is hoped they will form a breeding pair. Being from a different area to the six birds previously released, and communicating through a different dialect, they are not expected to mix with them, but there is a good chance the new generation of offspring from either group will do so, and thus form a unique Waitakere population.
Hazel Speed, DOC ranger in charge of the release, introduces one of the new kokako to a young supporter (Kaeeao Kake), to receive another installment of its first meal in the Waitakere Ranges.
Suzanne Naylor of Watercare watches - the reservoir catchment, administered by Watercare, has been favoured by the kokako released in 2009. The hope of finding further supplies of mashed banana may encourage these two to join them!
Further photos of the release can be viewed here.
To see a YouTube video of the release, click here.
Right now in the Ark...
The two recent kokako arrivals from Tiritiri Matangi continue to show an attachment to each other and to the area around the Cascades golf course. The first of these attachments supports the hope that they are going to be a breeding pair, and the second greatly aids the hopes of successfully monitoring this.
In the meantime the Ark's expert photographer, Eric Wilson, has captured them in several shots. Here we see that in the middle of winter the varied flora of the Waitakeres provides food if you know where to look.
And this shot catches the head of one of these 'squirrel birds', whose most favoured method of movement is to climb, run, and leap through the branches:
Rodent baiting:
Concern about the root infection threat to kauri lead to the decision to perform the first 2010 baiting cycle in late summer, rather than the usual time of August. This was to minimise foot traffic when the forest floor is at its wettest, and the risk of spread of infection is therefore at its highest Accordingly, baiting was started in April, and by the end of June it was completed.
A further advantage to baiting at the time of the year is that this is when rat numbers reach their peak.
So now there will be several weeks when the forest floor gets a rest from the feet of volunteers, and the feet of the volunteers get a rest from the forest floor. A win-win situation!
When things are drier, in Springtime, the second baiting of the season will be carried out to provide predator control during that critical time for plant, bird, and invertebrate regeneration.
Robin Monitoring:
Every year since the first release of 53 robins in 2005 Ark volunteers (with overseas students a key element) have sought out nest sites and monitored the breeding success of the pairs - typically three clutches of 2-3 chicks per season. In the forthcoming Spring we have the prospects of new pairs, and new nesting territories, and will again need volunteers to spread out and find where the birds have settled. Andy Warneford has been put in charge of organising this activity, and anyone who is interested in helping should contact our Volunteer Coordinator (karen@colgan.co.nz) to be put in touch with him. Volunteers need to have time available Monday to Friday, and to be fit enough to move off-track through our steep and slippery bush.
These birds are some of the most charming to be found in the New Zealand bush, with their quiet inquisitive nature making them easy to study and enjoy. Here is a picture taken recently by one of our star robin-finders, Grant Capill:
Rodent Monitoring:
On the weekend 6 -7 March, volunteers laid detection papers in 110 tunnels in the Ark, and in 30 outside. The results once again confirmed the effectiveness of the Ark rodent control: outside the Ark the rate of tunnel visits was 77% rats and 13% mice, while inside the Ark it was just 7.3% rats and 58.2% mice.
These results represent the Autumn peak levels of rat population, and show the continuing effect of the Spring baiting, even at three months following cessation of activity.
Check out the graphs showing monitoring results [click here]
Meanwhile, the Stoaters continue to tramp around their circuits, and 71 mustelids have been caught in the year ending 30 June 2009 (check out the maps showing their results).
Then there's the team maintaining the hihi feeders, the weekend attacks on weeds, navigators extending lines to fill in gaps..