Pest control impact monitored
Volunteer Derek Kelsey with a tracking tunnel.
In May Forest & Bird’s Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Project carried out a second round of pest animal monitoring in parks and on private land where they manage predator control.
Staff and volunteers used 238 tracking tunnels and wax tags to detect pest animals, with a focus on rats and possums.
The wooden tunnels were specially made by the Hibiscus Men’s Shed.
This year, geography students from Ōrewa College also learned about pest animal monitoring from project manager Jenny Hanwell, and installed two monitoring lines.
In May, only 18 percent of the monitoring devices showed evidence of rats and just one percent indicated possums were present.
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Free weapons for war on weeds
A community pest plant disposal bin is to be placed by Whangaparāoa Library.
Weapons in the fight against weeds are being made available for free community use at a new Pest Free Backyard Tool Library, which opens this weekend. The library, operated jointly by Restore Hibiscus & Bays and Pest Free Hibiscus Coast, has its first open day on Saturday, May 8, 1pm-4pm. It is located in a shipping container behind Whangaparāoa Community Hall. The library lends items such as handsaws and herbicide gels to assist with the removal of pest plants. In addition, pet-safe rat traps are being made available at the tool library as part of the Pest Free Hibiscus Coast project. Restore Hibiscus & Bays manager Rachael Randal says initially the tool library will be open “ad hoc” depending on demand, but anyone can make appointments with Restore Hibiscus & Bays to pick up tools and herbicides.
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Cycle of songBy: Richard Chambers That feeling of autumn freshness in the morning air has arrived. The cicadas have been singing loudly through February but have you wondered where the birds are? Remember that frantic bird activity and dawn chorus from August through to January?
Late summer is a resting time for birds as they moult their old feathers. Even the frantically energetic tui quietens down. Gone are the days of tuis waking in song at 4.30 in the morning and still calling at night after the morepork (ruru) is up and about.
Likewise the thrush stopped its dawn song around Christmas, and the blackbird followed suit in January. These birds can look a bit rough during the autumn moult as they lose feathers.