Robin Long’s survey of 40km of the rugged north coast of Stewart Island for tawaki has been published in Notornis, the journal of the Ornithological Society of NZ, this month.
Robin, the Trust’s new Chair, has been surveying tawaki nests since the age of 14. In recent years, she has extended the search from South Westland to Stewart Island to help better understand the range and size of the tawaki population there.
Last year, in 2020, along with Simon Litchwark, she surveyed the coast of Port Pegasus and, the year before, they surveyed a section of the northern coast.
The rigorous process of write up and peer review of a report covering the 2019 survey has resulted in the publication of a paper by the pair in the latest edition of Notornis, 68(3): pages 183–187.
They conclude that a significant breeding population is present and needs to be considered in future management plans for the species.
Also that additional surveys to cover the remaining coastline would be useful.
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
