Welcome to the first Friends of Flora (FoF) newsletter for 2008. This one brings you the latest news on our efforts to bring the birdsong (and all the other creatures) back to the Flora.

Double figures for Flora whio There’s been plenty of whio activity in the Flora over January. Five fledglings were translocated from the Pearse River and released into to the Flora Stream on 15 January. Blesssed by iwi on release, the birds are all banded and transponded (a barcoded casule the size of a grain of rice is inserted into loose skin on the back of the bird’s neck) but as yet un-named.

The following week DOC staff netted Bill and Maryann whio’s brood, now down to three, and banded and transponded these juveniles. While still a family group, Bill and Maryann will probably chase Talo, Taryn (females) and Hayden off any day soon.

This brings the Flora whio population to at least 12 birds – Bill and Maryann, an unnamed pair around Horseshoe Ck, the 8 juveniles and one or two or more lone wild males.

Five leave the Pearse….

The Flora’s ‘other’ duck. While we tend to focus on whio, the Flora is also home, at least on occasion, to one other native duck, the grey duck/parera (Anas superciliosa) A cosmopolitan species, the grey duck’s range extends through eastern Indonesia, Australia (where it’s known as the Pacific black duck), Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, New Zealand and the subantarctic. In New Zealand it faces competition from the introduced mallard, so tends to be found where mallards are not – estuaries, inlets and mountain streams more than farmland and urban areas. Astelia is a favourite nest site for parera breeding in high beech forest. There’s usually one or two birds in the Flora.

Flora twitch. Here’s an attempt at the definitive Flora bird list. It includes, in no particular order, all birds encountered since FoF began predator control and ranges from the very common to the “heard once or twice.” Let me know who I’ve left off!

Whio, grey duck, New Zealand pipit, fernbird, grey warbler, fantail, silvereye, chaffinch, New Zealand falcon, weka, kaka, kea, yellow-crowned kakariki, long-tailed cuckoo, shining cuckoo, morepork, rifleman, brown creeper, South Island tit, robin, bellbird, tui, kereru, blackbird. I haven’t included Australasian harriers, welcome swallows or thrushes – has anyone seen these three up there?

Census shows birds holding their own. Still on birds, The Ornithological Society’s November census reveals only a slight increase over the previous 2 years for most species. Five minute counts are conducted along I Line mornings and afternoons over three consecutive weekends. Kaka and kea counts are well up for 2007, but the OSNZ’s Pauline Samways cautions “three year’s data is not really long enough to make any meaningful conclusions.” We’ll report again after the 2008 census.

Women’s business. FoF’s Andy Woodall recently accompanied the Pokororo Women’s Club to the Flora….
“The Pokororo Women’s Club is an active group of mainly retired women living in the Motueka valley. For their monthly 'day out' they decided to walk to Flora hut from the carpark for a picnic lunch. The organiser, Loraine, has been FOF-ing but doesn’t have enough spare time at weekends to participate regularly. She rang Bill and asked if someone from FOF could come along on the walk and talk about what we do. So Erika and I and about ten ladies, some with spouses, gathered at the Poke hall on Dec 5th. We car-pooled from there up to the Flora car park. We walked from there to the saddle, where I gave my wee speech. This was followed by a demo of stoat and possum traps, fortunately without any loss of fingers, and the group ambled down to Flora hut for a fine lunch. I was hoping some notable birds might put in an appearance, but that was not to be; I heard bellbirds and warblers that was all. The walk back to the carpark was a bit slower, but the day was enjoyed by all and much interest was expressed in what FoF is doing.”

Monthly pest parade Totals for November + December 2007:
Stoats: 7+7 (total 438 since Feb 2002)
Rats: 22+20 (total 1490)
Mice : 1+0 (total 814)
Possums: 1+22 (total 335 since June 2004)

FoF’s catch for December last year was 23 stoats, 52 rats, 19 mice and 5 possums. DOC staff got rid of 7 stoats and 10 rats from D, H, E and upper I lines in their December trap check.

Mild innovations. A couple of innovations FoF-ers need to be aware of:
Old eggs are unsightly and a bird health risk so please dispose of old eggs by carrying them out, double-bagging them and placing them in the Scots Hir-a-Bin in the DOC yard (next to the yellow Bingo bin.). Or make your own arrangements if it is not convenient to return to the yard.

If taking DOC VHF radios into the Flora make a note on the blackboard next to the radios of the radio’s number (a 3 digit number such as ‘879’ comes up on the screen when you turn it on) who you are, when you took it and when you returned it.

FoF Address. With the sale of Bill Rooke and Maryann Ewer’s house at Riwaka, our address is no longer 35 School Rd. While we’re on the waiting list for our own PO Box, please use Bush and Beyond’s PO Box 376 Motueka. Once a PO Box is obtained, information boards, brochures etc etc will be changed.

That’s all for this month. Remember, monitoring weekends are the last two weekends of each month.

Ivan Rogers,
FoF Committee