FW: O Tu Wharekai September update
Frances Schmechel
Sent: Friday, 24 September 2010 12:35 p.m.
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: O Tu Wharekai September update
Hi everyone, we hope you didn’t suffer too much damage with the earthquake. The loss of so many heritage buildings in Christchurch is devastating, so we were relieved to find the Hakatere stone hut and shearer’s quarters have both withstood the quake with little damage. Here is O Tu Wharekai’s latest news.
Potential new home for grebes
You may remember that last year I wrote about Mark Gilbert from Hassle-free Tours (who takes Lord of the Rings fans to Mt Sunday), who built a prototype nesting platform for the endangered Australasian crested grebe. We installed it near a pair that had been seen displaying courtship behaviour, and while they didn’t use it, it gave us an opportunity to fine tune the design. This winter Mark built five platforms of the new design; we put these out in different lakes this week and will monitor them over the next few months. These platforms should help prevent the nest from flooding in the nor’west winds and will provide nesting opportunities where it may be lacking. They have been used successfully on similar species overseas, so we are very excited about this management tool. Thanks Mark! If you see the platforms please give them a wide berth so not to disturb the grebes. We still plan to replace the old buoy rope in front of the Clearwater camp to give the pair there an area where they are not disturbed by recreationists, but have been prevented by the consistent nor’westers we have been having lately. Hopefully we will get this out early next month.
Grebes are classified as Nationally Vulnerable with a total population of 600. There are an estimated 40-50 grebes in the Ashburton lakes, but for the last two years I have been monitoring them, only 2-4 chicks have been produced each summer. The population is likely to be an aging one, so unless we can improve breeding we may lose this species in this area. Failure to breed is likely to be due to a combination of reasons: flooding by nor’west winds, predation, disturbance by people and lack of good breeding habitat. Hopefully the measures we are putting in place will help – such as the breeding platforms, riparian planting, trapping by Lake Heron Conservation Group and management of visitor facilities to prevent disturbance. You can help by reporting any nests you find. Grebes often will come over to people, but it’s because they are checking you out as a threat, not because they are being friendly, and as a result they have interrupted their feeding and could be leaving their eggs unattended and vulnerable to predators. So enjoy them, but give them space. Nests are a large floating mess of weeds and sedges usually 1-2 metres from the lake edge.
Mai mai’s – temporary shelters not permanent fixtures
We have spent the last month tidying up derelict and abandoned mai mais and will be in touch with tagged mai mai owners. These constructions have been a blight on the pristine landscape for a number of years, along with rubbish and old casings left behind, and with Fish and Game’s support we will ensure that next game bird hunting season hunters will comply with Fish and Game’s Guidelines (http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/Site/HuntingNZ/HuntingMaiMai.aspx) for mai mai construction on public waters. We were also concerned to see a number of mai mai’s constructed from broom, which has subsequently spread. Please ensure that any brush used is dead with seed pods removed, and shelters are removed at the end of each duck shooting season.
Didymo strategy changes
We are currently changing signage in the basin for summer now didymo has been found in the South Ashburton River by Buicks Bridge. We will also shift the cleaning station from the Hakatere corner to Lake Heron. The cleaning station at Lake Clearwater will remain and is essential for people to use if coming from outside the area into lakes Camp or Clearwater, or from Potts and Rangitata River and Mt Sunday which have didymo present. While didymo is in the larger rivers we are desperate to keep it out of the lakes and smaller streams as didymo in these habitats is likely to be catastrophic to those ecosystems. Preventing the spread of didymo is easy – just spray the items of clothing or gear with a weak solution of detergent and water or don’t use until 48 hours after they have dried. Take care to clean items that may retain pockets of water such as boats and vehicles.
Is the grebe or wrybill going to be NZ’s favourite bird…?
Forest and Bird are holding their annual Bird of the Year poll http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/poll . Wetland or braided river birds are yet to win! Why not vote for a wetland or braided river bird and help raise awareness of these special habitats: wrybill, crested grebe, bittern, scaup, black-fronted tern, pukeko … the list goes on. Voting closes on October 13th.
Planting Day reminder
We are holding a community planting day at the Lake Clearwater outlet on Thursday 30th September. Planting will be from 2pm to 5pm with a sausage sizzle provided afterward. Bring your gumboots, spade, warm clothing, wet weather gear and a drink and we will see you there.
Kind regards, Wendy
Wendy Sullivan
Project Coordinator O Tu Wharekai Wetlands
Department of Conservation
Raukapuka Area Office; PO Box 33; North Tce; Geraldine
PH: 03 6931013 VPN: 5504
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