Welcome again to the Friends of Flora (FoF) newsletter. In it we will tell you more of the efforts of FoF volunteers to rid the Flora Stream catchment of the Kahurangi National Park of introduced pests in order to restore the birdlife.

Further whio fledging. Try saying that three time quickly! Gavin Udy of DoC reports that, further to the six fledglings in the Pearse River, two further juveniles have fledged in Cave Brook and three more at the upper Big River (Gouland Downs). At least some of these birds are likely to appear in the Flora Stream in the coming months.

Parrots procreating... The chatty little kakariki frequently observed of late are in fact the yellow-crowned parakeet (Cyanomorphus auriceps) says Maryann Ewers in reply to my question in the last newsletter. Maryann also reports that four or five kaka, two of them apparently juveniles, are being regularly sighted around the Growler Rock Shelter, just an hour or so past the last of our I line traps at Gridiron Shelter.

Three years of pest control. Moving on from our landmark of 200 stoats in January, the total pest kill for February was: 6 stoats, 14 rats, 2 mice and 15 possums, bringing our totals for the three years since trapping began in Feb 2002 to: 206 stoats 397 rats 486 mice 79 possums.

Contrast February's figures with the considerably higher catch for the same time last year : 13 stoats, 22 rats, 26 mice and no possums. (FoF commenced possum control only in June 2004.) As you can see, we are on track for rat 400 and mouse 500 very soon.

However, red tussock (Chionochloa rubra) is currently masting (mass seeding) on the open downs. Like beech masting, this phenomenon has been associated with massive rodent population increases the following summer.

Thanks, DoC! DoC have very kindly provided us with four radio handsets and four epipens for each monitoring, along with access to their freezer to obtain rabbits foot baits. Team leaders demonstrated the radio handsets to volunteers this month. They enable parties of volunteers working kilometres apart ot keep in touch, coordinate rendevous times, and will go a long way towards easing anxiety on those occasions when things seem to take 'longer than usual'. Epipens are for treating anaphylaxis caused by wasp stings. We fervently hope they will never be used! Both radios and epipens have clear instructions on laminated cards.

Boo, Hiss... As Scrooge is to Christmas, so Cadburys is to Easter it seems. FoF committee member Christine Johns got a polite but firm 'no' to her written request to the confectionary giant to supply chocolate buttons for our rat baits. In fairness, they probably get a lot of requests for free chocs this time of year.

That's our news for March. We'll be in touch again soon.

Ivan Rogers FoF Committee