- 1/07/2010: Chris (Kiwi wrangler) has captured & radio tagged a previously unknown male Kiwi in Halpins Creek area.
- 20/05/2010: Nic has captured a (male) kiwi residing with the Scott's Track female!
- 3/05/2010: Tash (Kiwi wrangler) has caught a male GSK down near Greyneys, he was heard dueting with a sub-adult male the night before.
- 19/04/2010: Chris (Kiwi wrangler) has caught the female at the top of Scotts track! We've been after these birds for a while! Also saw a Male but couldn't get him!
|
Welcome to www.wilddata.org.nz/apkiwi, a website devoted to the effective management of the Arthur's Pass Kiwi Recovery Project.
Total volunteer hours to date: 2180hrs 55mins (Logged since January 2008)
9/08/2010: The "partially beakless" Weka of Temple Basin (Photo - G.Kates)
Some history and statistics...
- The Arthur's Pass Kiwi Recovery Project was established in late 2002 in response to the "doomed" outcome probable for NZ's only urban population of Great Spotted Kiwi (GSK) or Roroa (Apteryx haastii).
- As a community we currently trap or control the various animals (Stoats, Weasels, Rats, Feral Cats and Possums) that predate the Kiwi eggs or juveniles.
- We believe currently there is 25-30 GSK's living in the environs of the Bealey Valley & Arthur's Pass village.
- The Arthur's Pass Kiwi Recovery Project is kindly sponsored by the BNZ Bank through the "Save the Kiwi Fund" and the "BirdLife International Community Fund". External funding has also been provided by fund-raising events organised through Cashmere and Cust Schools (this funding has purchased complete trap-lines). Local funding has been provided by generous donations and provision of hens eggs from the Arthur's Pass Store, and from various locals purchasing quantities of stoat traps. The project is overseen by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
- The Arthur's Pass Association has installed 3 stoat trap lines around the Bealey Spur settlement area. These are maintained by local residents. These lines will help provide some protection to the Arthur's Pass Kiwi Recovery Project by providing a buffer between farmland and the National Park, as well as promoting bird life recovery on the Bealey Spur itself.
- Currently there are 26 traplines (23 in the project areas and 3 at Bealey Spur) consisting of 346 stoat traps and 144 possum feed stations. Since 2002 630 predators have been captured (604 in the project areas, and 26 at Bealey Spur).
- In February 2008 we commenced a program of finding and radio tagging adult, juvenile & chick Kiwi - currently we have 23 kiwi radio-tagged.
- Preliminary results from tracking down the Kiwi suggests...
- We have breeding pairs of Kiwi still present in the Bealey Valley (as 6 chicks/juveniles have been found), and of our 11 tracked pairs 6 pairs made attempts at incubating eggs in 2009/2010.
- Some eggs are surviving the incubation stage, but other factors such as climate, chick health and predation has reduced the success of survival. Though at this stage we have monitored 2 successful hatchings leading to healthy juveniles in the past 3 years.
- At least some juvenile Kiwi are surviving and obtaining a weight (1.2kg) that allows them to fend off stoat predation (2 juveniles found at 1600gms+). It appears to take 1 full year for an Arthur's Pass chick to obtain this weight.
- Some notable side effects of our program have been...
- Weka have moved back into the Bealey valley and now appear to winter over.
- South Island Robins have returned to the Village after a 30 year absense.
- A pair of Whio (Blue Duck) have self-introduced into the Crow catchment and had a successful breeding season (1 fledgling sighted) after an absense of this species for over 30 years.
- Long Tail Bats seem to be in more abundance (ie. getting noticed) than in previous times.
- The native mistletoe on our beech trees is now flourishing.
- Two pairs of ground nesting NZ Falcons have actually had chicks survive in the last season.
- Small birds such as Tomtits, Waxeyes, Riflemen, Korimako (Bellbird) etc are now seen in flocks about the Village.
- A pair of Tui has established themselves in the south side of the Village.
- Wetas have been found thriving on the beech forest floor, even at treeline.
- Native skink numbers appear to have increased, particularly about the Village precinct.
- We now have a still subdued but at least present dawn chorus.
- If you would like further information about the project please
.
- This site has been fully designed/maintained by Graeme Kates, and is a "passionate works in progress"!
|
