Welcome to the Friends of Flora (FoF) Christmas 2008 newsletter number 48. Time again to wheel out Wayne Elia’s Christmas duck (above) and look back at another successful year of bringing the birdsong back to the Flora.

Unbanded pair photographed near Horseshoe Creek last year.

Flora whio breed again. Rain and her unbanded (and so far un-named) partner were found to have produced a clutch of five ducklings which were observed near Gridiron Creek by DOC ranger Chris Golding on 19 November. This represents the second consecutive year of whio breeding in the Flora. One of last year’s ducklings, Talo, has paired up with another unbanded male and Bill and Maryann are still a pair so are thought to be in breeding mode too. But wait there’s more! Yet another (unbanded) pair was spotted at the Deep Creek/Takaka confluence a kilometre or so below Upper Junction. Despite all this activity, four experienced observers, including FoF’s Bill Rooke, Andy Woodall and volunteer Gena, could only spot four birds in this week’s evening walk-through survey of the Flora Stream.

Zero tracking No mustelid tracking was found on any of the 50 inkpad papers put out in November, although a possum put its dirty paw on one! This, combined with the recent very low trap catches shows the Flora is becoming a safer place for our birds. Full trap catch data will be in the next newsletter.

South island kaka Nestor meridionalis meridionalis

Kakaphony There’s also a lot of kaka activity to be encountered on the walk up to Salisbury Lodge, particularly around the Growler Shelter. DOC rangers Ivan Rogers and Graham Helleur (Motueka’s new didymo ranger) saw and heard kaka constantly throughout an entire afternoon late late last month. Kaka are partially nocturnal and tend to be more active and noisy at dawn and dusk or on heavily overcast days. A small number of birds can create quite a racket, leading to the impression there are more than just a few birds around.

What’s my line? – “Little I” FoF’s Chris Potter writes of the latest extension to our trapping effort: The I line – for readers unfamiliar with the FoF trapliners’ code – is the “original” line, which started at the car park and follows the Flora Stream to its junction with the Takaka River. FoF is responsible for trap sites I1-83 (at Gridiron rock shelter). I83 has the record for rat kills in the Flora.

It soon became clear that stoats and rats were entering “our” territory up the road, so traps were placed below the roadway for a kilometre before the car park and they did a fine job. Some time later FoF were advised that a Traffic Management Plan was required for monitoring these traps and the stringent conditions meant that they would have to be removed. A new line was marked out along the ridge to the SE of the car park and Little I was born.

There are only 12 sites on Little I – and of course you have to walk all the way to 1 and back again - but it has character and is a favourite with the I team. It has also been one of the most lethal sections of the I line for pests. Its appeal lies partly in the undulating ridgeline terrain but mostly in the distinctive vegetation, so different from the other side of the car park. Slender saplings of pokaka catch the eye with their odd leaves and suddenly you’re amongst mature southern rata. So impressive - and so.. Kahurangi!

That’s all for this month and all from FoF for this year. Stay safe on the road sand in the mountains this holiday season and you’ll hear from us again next year.

Ivan Rogers, FoF committee