Happy family
Since the last update in early November there has been a huge volunteer effort in both valleys. The rain stopped, river levels fell and the river traps have been serviced. Over the last 2 1/2 months there has been over 50 volunteer person days put in up in the hills. A bait trial has been set up and in the Oroua (including Rangi) 79 stoats or weasels, 129 rats and 4 hedgehogs have been removed from the Doc 200 traps.
Whio Sightings
The Pohangina River - 3 families seen. In December a family with 4 big ducklings were seen between Leon Kinvig and Ngamoko Huts. There is another family with 2 large ducklings just up river from Leon Kinvig and another group with 2 ducklings were reported above Top Gorge Hut. Great news that the ducklings are surviving . There is a huge network of traps now encircling the Pohangina headwaters.
Oroua River - not so many seen here but a family with 3 ducklings were spotted well up the Tunupo Stream by Ians Patterson and Rasmussen. I hope there are more up the less travelled side streams. Several lone male ducks were been seen in November and December.
Makeretu Sth Branch - a lone duck has been spotted recently just below Makeretu Hut. He looks a bit lonely. This is the first confirmed sighting we have but there have been other unconfirmed in the past.
Bait Trial - Exciting Research
Ian Rasmussen and I attended the Transforming Biodiversity Conference in Napier in November . Thanks go to DOC for part funding our costs. Patrick Garvey from Landcare Research spoke on the work he is doing developing a ferret pheromone based lure for catching stoats and the Oroua project now has 100 traps involved in his trials. The traps have a "tea strainer" with a cloth as well as their usual egg or erayz. Please do not remove dead things without reporting the catches to me. If you know of anyone who may be clearing traps please pass this message on to them. The trail runs for 4 month and ends in April.
Rebaits
Flying in with Rangitikei Helicopters
Pohangina - Yvette Cottam, Graham Peters and I flew to mid Pohangina hut in December and spent 4 days servicing all the A24 traps to Leon Kinvig Hut and beyond . We installed more traps up river to complete the line to the gorge. Apart from in the gorge section these traps now extend well above Top Gorge Hut. The line above Leon Kinvig Hut towards the Apiti track was also checked and a couple more traps added. With only 2 exceptions the traps were all in working order which is very pleasing.
The flying and costs for lure and gas were paid for by the Ruahine Whio Protection Trust from grants applied for from the Central NI Blue Duck Trust and DOC.
On Toka out from the Pohangina, Janet and Graham can see for miles?
Oroua
November - largely carried out by members of the Deerstalkers Assn (Manawatu). So wonderful to have you all helping . Thanks to Mark Jeffares for coordinating the team - Adam, Stuart and Annette Penny, Paul Dekker, Ian Patterson, Ian Rasmussen, and new trappers Ben Piggott, Mitchell Kinghorn, Kyle and Steven Willoughby.
Steven Willoughby - starting young
Thanks also to Richie Worth for volunteering to do the Tunupo Tops while briefly back in NZ. He was beaten back by bad weather.
December - a really big effort as we set up the bait trial and finally got to the river traps. Early in Dec Ian R and Thomas Robertson did the Oroua river down from IGH , servicing the new A24's and the DOC 200's. Sad to say that over the length of the river from Triangle Hut to the IG Gorge, 21 DOC 200's and 1 A24 have been washed away or broken. This was the result of cyclones Debbie and Cook late last summer.
The bait trial was set up mid month by Graeme Richards, Bryan and Monica Charlton, and Ian R with Mark J. Just before xmas Warren Wheeler and Ester Pothuis went to IGH for a night to finish the rebait beyond Tunupo Stream and part of the Triangle line to the top of the sidle track. I joined them to check the river traps on the way back. New volunteers Emma Gregg and Chris Ricketts went around the Triangle Circuit which is always a good adventure the first time around. They enjoyed themselves so hope they come back to help another time.
Chris Ricketts with a good kill
Finally just before New Year, Ian R did the Tunupo/IGH circuit via the tops - finally getting to the top traps which have been proving difficult to get to - at least 2 trips turned back due to the weather. I did a quick mid month check of the Tunupo and O/C lines. Bryan and Monica did some more track clearing over this time and reported no catches on the way to IGH.
A big thanks to Bryan and Monica for all the track clearing work they have done.
A big thanks to Bryan and Monica for all the track clearing work they have done.
January - Early this month Steve Bielski took the family for a walk down the Stoat Trappers line and cleared 1 rat. A large part of the months rebait was completed on the 13th by the regulars - Ian R, Bryan C, Graham P, Anthony B and son Tomas (new trapper!) and myself.
Rangi/Deadmans Loop - Steve B has been keeping up with the rebaits. Thanks to Mike Shepherd (Manawatu Gorge trap line coordinator) for clearing all the dead things prior to the December rebait.
There have been 31 stoats or weasels, 7 rats and 2 hedgehogs removed over the last 2 months.
Rangi/Deadmans Loop - Steve B has been keeping up with the rebaits. Thanks to Mike Shepherd (Manawatu Gorge trap line coordinator) for clearing all the dead things prior to the December rebait.
There have been 31 stoats or weasels, 7 rats and 2 hedgehogs removed over the last 2 months.
Longview/Upper Pohangina
Ben Douglas, Pete Meridith , Anthony Behrens and Fiona Burleigh have serviced the double set DOC 200's over the last 2 months. There have been 18 stoats, 7 weasels and 2 rats caught in Nov and Dec.
Most catches are along the ridge Sth of Longview Hut. It is interesting that so few rats are caught on these higher lines.
Most catches are along the ridge Sth of Longview Hut. It is interesting that so few rats are caught on these higher lines.
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