Rare Bits 48, April 2003

Number 48 April 2003 This newsletter is produced RARE BITS primarily as a vehicle for THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT THREATENED SPECIES WORK information exchange between departmental staff possible breeding failure earlier in involved in threatened species FEATURE ARTICLE the season. recovery and ecological restoration programmes. In The day of the transfer brought a recognition of wider interest, From Leigh Bull, BRU however, “Rare Bits” is also thunder and lightening storm which provided to non-departmental delivered torrential rain. Most Pycroft’s petrel transfer groups on request. The burrows were flooded, turning what newsletter’s informal style begun as a transfer into a rescue may occasionally lead to For the third consecutive year, mission. Along with the rain came misunderstandings for some Pycroft’s petrel (Pterodroma of those readers. Views new challenges, namely collecting pycrofti) chicks were transferred expressed by the authors are the 100 chicks from their burrows not necessarily those of the from Red Mercury Island to Cuvier Department of Conservation. Island. The purpose of these and transporting them in cardboard carry boxes. Despite the bad weather transfers are two-fold: (1) to re- conditions, the transfer was establish Pycroft’s petrel to its Contents successful, with all chicks arriving former breeding range; (2) to use Feature Article safely on Cuvier Island. Pycroft’s petrel as an analogue Conservancy News Unfortunately Cuvier Island had species on which to refine transfer Northland received the same weather pattern, and artificial feeding methods, with Auckland the aim of later applying them to two so renovations to the burrows were Waikato necessary to make them as water- endangered seabird species in the Bay of Plenty proof as possible. Once on Cuvier Chatham Islands, the Magenta petrel, Tongariro/Taupo Island the birds were regularly (Pterodroma magentae) and the Wanganui weighed, measured (wing length, tail Chatham petrel (Pterodroma Nelson/Marlborough axillaris). This work is led by length and tail index) and fed a diet Canterbury of blended sardines and water via a Graeme Taylor of BRU. West Coast crop needle. Otago Four days were spent searching Southland Chicks close to fledging emerge from burrows on Red Mercury Island, with Island Roundup their burrows at night to exercise the aim of finding 100 chicks with their wings and become familiar with wing lengths between 140-190 mm. Birds in this size class are unlikely to their surroundings. As most seabirds return to their natal colony to breed, have emerged from their burrow, it is hoped that these birds will have thus reducing the likelihood of them imprinted on the surroundings of having already imprinted on the Red Cuvier Island and will therefore Mercury surroundings. While the target sample size was achieved, return to breed at this colony. A sound system playing Pycroft’s petrel numbers were low compared with calls has been installed in the colony previous seasons, indicating a to provide further cues for chicks Rare Bits N o. Error! Reference source not found.8 April 2003 Page and to attract any passing adults that another plan. Argentine ants are might be prospecting. spreading and have the potential to put recovery projects in jeopardy. While most of the team left Cuvier They eliminate other ants, eat other within a week of the transfer, Helen insects, feed on nectar sources, and Gummer and Rex Williams remained compete with native birds and on the island to feed the chicks until lizards. When the ants were found they fledge. adjacent to Bream Head Scenic Reserve (one of Northland’s priority The hard work of this project is sites), we decided to act. The likely to come to fruition very soon, infestation was confined to 16 as birds from the first translocation hectares of private residential, are approaching breeding age and council and reserve land. Staff and are therefore likely to start returning volunteers covered this area on a to prospect Cuvier Island in the near 1.5m x 3m grid, laying fipronil bait. future. This method was successful on Tiritiri Matangi Island. The bait is PYCROFT’S PETREL CHICKS manufactured by Landcare Research ARRIVING ON CUVIER ISLAND and is currently under experimental use permit restrictions. The operation gained strong support from the residents. Further monitoring and control will proceed in subsequent years. Threatened plants The critically endangered plant Atriplex hollowayi has had a great season. Plants grown from October 2002 have provided the Recovery Programme with ample seed to raise plants for next season, some to store CONSERVANCY NEWS for future use and plenty to be left in situ for nature to do her best with. Two wild populations are being NORTHLAND monitored, with a focus on harvesting seed from these to increase the genetic diversity of next From Jaap Knegtmans, Janeen season’s plantings. The main threats Collings, Lisa Forester, Katrina to Atriplex hollowayi are high tides, Hansen and Richard Parrish. and pigs ploughing through flotsam washed ashore. Overall they have been a lucky bunch of plants, with Argentine ants many being missed by horse hooves and pig feeding. We couldn’t set traps for these little critters, so we had to come up with Rare Bits N o. Error! Reference source not found.8 April 2003 Page Auckland Botanical Society spent an early January wiped out three of the unseasonably cold January weekend four remaining nests. Fortunately on the recently acquired Frampton's two chicks hatched from the last Block on the edge of Waima Forest. nest at Mangawhai. The chicks have There they got to see the newly now fledged and left their natal site named local endemics Ackama with their parents. There was some nubicola and Olearia crebra as well encouraging news from this season: as Coprosma waima. A highlight was two of the six breeding pairs were finding the saprophytic, litter first-timers; three pairs attempted to dwelling Thismia rodwayi. This tiny, breed at Waipu for the first time pink plant is related to an orchid, since 1994; and a newly-hatched and has previously only been found chick was accepted and reared by twice in Northland, the closest foster par ents, though it disappeared locality being Trounson Kauri Park in in a storm a week later. 1963. Local iwi from Te Uri o Hau have Lizards been monitoring the progress of 300 Monitoring of McGregor’s skinks Sebaea ovata plants which were released onto Lady Alice Island in translocated in November from 1997/98 was carried out for the first plants grown from seed collected at time in January. Three skinks were Wanganui to Pouto. Most plants on caught, two were from the original their land did well, flowering and release and both had increased seeding before dying off in the dry slightly in weight and snout-vent January weather. The plants at the length. One skink was a large DOC managed site did not do as juvenile (3-4 years old), suggesting it well. B ud browse at this slightly was born on the island. A general more disturbed site is being survey of the islands’ lizards resulted attributed to the gentian feeding in a ‘new’ species (the Pacific gecko) plume moth Steoptilia zophodactyla. being added to the list. This Hopefully this spring we will see the highlights the benefits of doing a first wild Sebaea seedlings in post-eradication survey eight years Northland for over 150 years! after the event. Also, Suter’s skink (egg laying skink) was reconfirmed NZ fairy tern for the first time since 1968. The fairy terns haven’t had such a good breeding season this year, with Flax snails only two chicks fledging. They had a In August 2002, 11 Placostylus run of misfortunes during the hongii were released onto Limestone summer : the first few nests were lost Island in Whangarei Harbour. to high tides and predation; one of Monitoring conducted in November the first-time breeding pairs and January revealed that one snail abandoned the nest; then one of the had died, while the other ten had older breeding females at Waipu survived an extremely dry period disappeared after their first chick from August to December. Since hatched, and then the male early January Northland has had an disappeared also; finally, a storm in Rare Bits N o. Error! Reference source not found.8 April 2003 Page abundance of rain which should O ver the past few weeks the island ensure their continued survival. has had large numbers of visitors, including a stray helicopter land, so The Coppermine Island Placostylus we're not holding our brea th. The hongii population was also surveyed p lovers have been observed attacking in November. Four 20 sq.m quadrates adult NZ dotterels, and chasing them established in 1997 just prior to the away from the suspected nest site. eradication of kiore were re- Interest is now running high, but the surveyed. The total number found jury is still out as to what they are up had increased from six to seven to! snails, though there was no evidence of breeding. Other research has Beehive Island has a good population shown that they do not breed every of variable oystercatchers, including year and we therefore need to await some near fledged chicks. The island a ‘good’ breeding year before a is also a popular roosting site for revival is evident. white fronted terns. Kokako AUCKLAND The four pairs of kokako breeding in the Auckland Regional Council From Thelma Wilson and Danielle Hunua Ranges Management Block Shanahan produced five fledg lings this season. There were seven nesting attempts, No fairy tern breeding in occurred of which five failed due to flooding our area this year. Only one egg was and suspected harrier and possum detected at Papakanui, and it was predation.

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