Coastlines

Newsletter of Kaipara Branch of Forest and Bird

October 2009

This Caspian Tern dived successfully for a fish on the Kaukapakapa River during
Kaipara Forest and Bird’s Riverboat Trip last month. (Photo: Peter Phillips)

No mining in National Parks

The Government should sort out
Join us for a
environmental degradation caused by
existing mines rather than proposing new scenic Kaipara
ones on core conservation land.
Forest & Bird advocacy manager, Kevin Harbour and
Hackwell has responded to a report by the
Parliamentary Commissioner for the river cruise
Environment, which recommends that the
Government tighten up weak and
unenforceable environmental regulations on
more than 100 mines around the country. Sunday November
“We are very concerned that the existing
regulatory framework provides virtually no 15th 8.15am
control on mining activities under these
licences,” Kevin Hackwell says. Early start to catch
“What is even more concerning is the
Government intends to extend mining
into core conservation land which is
the tide
currently protected under Section 4 of the
Crown Minerals Act because of its high
conservation value. The Government
should instead be sorting out the problem See over for
that already exists.”
There is a high risk of environmental bookings
damage, including toxic contamination.

Spring outings ..................Pg 3 Atuanui News ................Pg 5-7

! Coastlines October 2009 Page 1

 Forest and Bird 2010
Calendars and Diaries
Now on SALE !

Calendars were $16 now $12 each

Diaries were $25, now $20 each

Order from us today - free local delivery

for orders of five or more.
Ph 021-271-2527

Kaipara Forest and Bird Kaipara Waders Census Day

Committee
PO Box 187, Helensville 0840
kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com
Next Committee Meeting:
19th October 2009
Email Dave Allen on to find out confirmed
venue and start time
Convenor and acting Secretary
Suzi Phillips, Ph 021-271-2527
suzi@dialogue.co.nz
Treasurer:
Felicity Smith Ph 09-420-7835
felicity@chfs.co.nz
Committee Members:
Dave Allen (Deputy chair)
dave.allen@farmside.co.nz
Chris Bindon, Ph 833-6363
giant.weta@xtra.co.nz
Bill McNatty Ph 09-420-8070
Specialising in resource issues
billmc@starlight.co.nz
Vivienne Wilson Ph 411-5100
the.wilsons@paradise.net.nz
Waders and seabirds on the Kaipara Harbour
will be in the spotlight on November 7th for
the annual summer census.
Members and friends of the Auckland Branch of
the Ornithological Society will spread out to
known roosting and feeding sites around the
harbour to conduct the count. More helpers are
always welcome from local groups and keen bird
watchers.
The count usually includes shorebirds such as
Bar-tailed Godwits, Red Knots, South Island Pied
Oystercatchers and Vairable Oystercatchers, our
rare endemic Wrybill, NZ Dotterels, and gulls
including the uncommon Black-billed Gull. The
census also counts tern species, including the
Kaipara’s NZ Fairy Tern, White-fronted Tern, and
Caspian Tern populations. Other seabirds
include shags, herons, and sometimes Royal
Spoonbills are seen.
If you would like to take part, but you are not
confident about your identification skills, don’t
worry you will be paired with a more experienced
member.
For more information contact OSNZ organiser
and wader expert, Adrian Riegen by phone on
09-814-9741 or by email to riegen@xtra.co.nz

Kaipara Forest and Bird Committee usually

meets monthly. If you would like to be
involved in any way, please contact one of
us. NZ Dotterel in flight (Photo: Suzi Phillips).

Visit : www.kaiparaforestandbird.org.nz
Coastlines October 2009 Page 2
 Spring Outings in Kaipara
Boat Trip on the Kaipara
Sunday 15th November
Kaipara Forest and Bird has booked the Kewpie
Too for members and friends to enjoy a special
trip on the south Kaipara Harbour and up the
Kaukapakapa River. Leaving from Parakai, we
cruise down the Kaipara River and across the
southern arm of the Kaipara Harbour to Shelly
Beach with views of an island where seabirds
breed.
This will be followed by an exploration of the
tranquil Kaukapakapa River and the beautiful
native forest reserve along its banks.
An informative commentary along the way will
cover highlights such as seabirds, wetland and
forest birds and other wildlife, local history,
including early settlement, kauri mills and bush
camps.
Complementary refreshments will be available on
board. Bring your binoculars for some great
viewing.
We meet at 8.15am at Parakai Wharf for a
8.30am departure. End of Springs Rd. (We
cannot wait for late-comers due to the tide).
Return about midday.
The cost for this excursion is $20 per person for
adults and $10 for children, 12 years and under.
For Forest and Bird members, there is a
discount fare of $18 for adults and $8 for
children. Don’t miss out on this wonderful
trip.
To book, send a cheque for fares to Kaipara
Riverboat Trip, Kaipara Forest and Bird, PO Box
187, Helensville 0840. (Cheque made out to
Kaipara Forest and Bird). Book now to avoid
missing out. For enquiries and availability,
email kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com.
Come along to Forest
and Bird’s North Island
Conference - Nov 21-22
This year the North Island Conference is
in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.
For an insight into conservation issues
in the new political climate, workshops
and a field trip - join us there in
November. For more information,
phone Suzi on 021-271-2527
! Coastlines October 2009 Page 3
KCC Sand and Seabirds
November 7th - Meet 11am Tapora Hall
Kids and Parents - Come and join us for an
all-day ramble to Manukapua Island on the
Kaipara Harbour to see seabirds and the big
flocks of thousands of wading birds that
migrate from the northern hemisphere each
summer to feed in our harbours. Bring
binoculars!
This trip is limited to children 8 years and
older,(with their parents/guardians). As this
is a long day for the kids (and adults!) that
involves four hours+ walking on the sand,
we cannot take younger children.
From Tapora Hall, we carpool to the
Okahukura DOC Reserve and walk from the
carpark across at low tide to this big sand
island, where a reserve protects beautiful
sand dune and seabird habitat.
We cross the island on a sandy track, (might
see fernbirds) and then northeast up the
seaward side to the largest bird roost.
There we should see thousands of godwits,
knots, oystercatchers and hundreds
of terns, wrybill, and turnstones with
smaller numbers of NZ dotterels, banded
dotts, sandpipers, and whimbrel and curlew
are also possible.
To book, phone Kaipara KCC co-ordinator,
Vivienne Wilson on 09-411-5100 or email her
at the.wilsons@paradise.net.nz, giving
names and ages of children coming and
names of accompanying adults, and your
contact details.
This trip is for children (with parents) only.
 Protect your bush fragments

Filling a baitstation are

Maureen Young and Gill
Adshead. (Photo: Suzi
Phillips)

Pest control of possums, rats and other pests
in small rural bush fragments is important for
preserving these areas, according to
Landcare scientist, John Innes.
Both bush regeneration and bird breeding
success is helped by pest control.
A recent study found there was one rat per
hectare in grazed bush fragments and seven rats
per hectare in fenced bush fragments, (of 3 to 67
hectares).
The fenced bush fragments were thought to
contain more rats, because there was more food
available for them. The fencing protects the
bush, but pest control is essential to reduce rat
numbers, said John Innes.
Nest success was a reliable indicator of the
effectiveness of pest control of both rats and
possums.In bush fragments where there was no
pest control, 36 per cent of chicks fledged, but in
areas with pest control, this increased to 88 per
cent of chicks.
Three bird species were studied for nest success
with and without pest control. After 30 days of
pest control, nesting success for Fantails
increased from 37 per cent to 76 per cent.
After 35 days, nesting success for Tui increased
from 32 per cent to 73 per cent, and for Kereru,
from 17 per cent to 62 per cent.
“In many years of filming at nest sites, I’ve noted
that possums never go past an egg in a nest
without eating it,” said Dr Innes.
Hedgehogs were another pest that could have a
big effect in a bush fragment, as 80 per cent of
their diet was insects in the leaf litter, and this
affected the invertebrate balance in the bush.
Bush fragments are an important aspect of
landscape connectivity for wildlife, and are
generally resilient, although not to the extent of
nearby large forests, he said.
If you would like help or advice protecting
your bush fragment, please contact us at
kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com

Can you help out our Committee this summer ?

Over summer we will be holding Forest and Bird stalls at events such as
Ecodays and A and P Shows in our area, including the Helensville A and P
show in February and the Kumeu A and H Show in March. We are keen to
have some new volunteers to help us on the stalls for a couple of hours.
If you would like to help, we will be delighted to hear from you.
You can email us at kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com or see page 2 for
Committee contact details.

Coastlines October 2009 Page 4

 Atuanui News
Newsletter of the Atuanui Restoration Project of Kaipara Forest and Bird

The Atuanui Restoration Project is a volunteer based community partnership

project of Kaipara Forest and Bird with the Department of Conservation. It is
funded by grants from the ASB Trust, the Birdlife International Conservation for
Communities Fund, the Auckland Regional Council, and Rodney District Council.

Tree planting and pest control have been the you would like a morning tramping and putting out
focus of efforts by ARP volunteers this season. Ratabate, please contact us by email or phone.
There was a great turn out of helpers for the For contact details see page 2.
Arbour Day community tree planting in June. The cost of the Ratabate poison was funded by
Our planters put in about 300 native trees to form t h e A u c k l a n d R e g i o n a l C o u n c i l ’ s
a picnic area by the stile at the top of the Kaipara Environmental Initiative Fund.
Hills Road access to Atuanui. Possum control has also been carried out across
The native trees were sponsored by the Rodney the entire reserve by a contractor, (as only a
District Council and included flax, puriri, licensed contractor is allowed to distribute the
pittosporum, manuka, and cabbage trees - all Feratox possum poison). The possum control
supplied by Kaipara Coast Plant Centre. was made possible by a grant from the ASB
Once the trees are established, a picnic table will Community Trust, (who also fund our project co-
be moved into an area kept clear to form shelter. ordinator position).
Pest control has been the main focus of Our thanks to all our volunteers for their hard
volunteer efforts this year. work and to our funders for supporting restoration
The large DOC250 stoat traps have been carried planting and pest control at Atuanui.
out to the boundaries, and rat control is being
done using the 635 bait-stations that are spread Below: Volunteers busy planting native trees on
across the reserve on a 100m x 100m grid. the Atuanui access for our Arbour Day planting.
Work on finishing the bait-
station grid on the north
side of the reserve by a
contractor was funded by
Birdlife International’s
Conservation for
Communities Fund.
We are about half way
through the rat control
now and still need more
volunteers to put Ratabate
rat poison into the bait-
stations.
This is challenging work
on steep and often
slippery bush slopes, but
volunteers have made
great progress this month.
More help is needed, so if (Photos: Suzi Phillips)
! Coastlines October 2009 Page 5
How you can help
What You Can Do In 5 minutes

• Find out more about restoration at

Atuanui by visiting our website’s
Atuanui pages.

• Visit the forest and see and hear for

yourself what we have – and what is
missing.

• Add your name to our list of

supporters by contacting us at
kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com
 

What You Can Do in 20+ minutes

• Protect your own forest remnants and

stream edges from introduced pests.

• Talk to local MPs and councillors – ask
them to support pest control and
community conservation initiatives.
• Let others know abut the Atuanui
Restoration Project’s pest control
programme. Your voice is an
important part of spreading the word.
• Help us to seek donors and sponsors
for our work at Atuanui.
Above: An autumn flowering Rata
(Metrosideros fulgens) on Atuanui’s ridge
track in April. (Photo: Suzi Phillips).
Recent possum and rat control on Atuanui
will also help to protect plant species like
Rata that are palatable to these introduced
pests.
Please send Supporter Donations
to: Atuanui Restoration Project,
Kaipara Forest and Bird,
PO Box 187, Helensville 0840.
We appreciate donations from $5 to
$500+ and receipts will be issued.

Atuanui’s eastern boundary from the airstrip access. (Photo: Suzi Phillips)

Coastlines October 2009 Page 6

 Atuanui Restoration Project Volunteer Working Bees
Come for one day or more on these weekends from 9am to about 2pm
October 24th/25th, 31st Oct/November 1st, and November 8th/9th

We need experienced trampers to help us put rat control poison into our bait-
stations. We’re about half way and hope to finish by the end of November. If you
can help us for a day, please get in touch asap, see below.
This month we also will need some volunteers to check and reset our boundary
lines of DOC250 stoat and ferret traps.
Atuanui-Mt Auckland is 22km north of Kaukapakapa at Glorit. Turn right just past
the Glorit Hall, and drive 3km along Kaipara Hills Road to the Atuanui-Mt
Auckland access.
We meet at 9am each volunteer day, at the top of the hill above the carpark.
(Walk or drive through the gateway by the DOC sign and up the metalled track to
meet us at the Red Barn at the top). The working bee involves about 4-5 hours
tramping and requires a minimum of medium fitness.
Please come prepared with warm clothing, sturdy tramping boots, wet weather
gear, lunch/drink, compass, and personal first-aid kit. If it's too wet, the working
bee will be postponed, so please provide contact details for cancellation
notification.
Please RSVP if you can help to: kaiparaforestandbird@gmail.com or text/phone
021-271-2527. New volunteers need to read the Health and Safety briefing before
arrival, available by email or hard copy.

Roll of Honour 2009

Thank you to our Volunteers, our Funders and our Supporters including:
Ross Beever, John MacDonald, Dave Allen, Felicity Smith, Gillian and Kevin
Adshead, Shane and Jenny Hood, Stuart Rogers and Josie Mannington, Matt
Mannington and Lissa, Crispin and Michelle Caldicott and Charlotte, Russell and
Rosemary Cullen, Suzi and Peter Phillips, Christine Silvester, Jay Wightman,
Marty Taylor, Bernard Michaux, Mick Cleland, Barbara Hughes, Jamie Calvert,
Greg and Helen Smith, Denise Poyner, Joanne and Mark Waterson, Michael and
David Stott, Marina and Colin Ander, Eliane Lagnaz, Warwick and Hueline
Massey, Maureen Young, Henning Hovmand, FW Marter, and students from
Kaipara Collegeʼs Papa Taiio group.

! Coastlines October 2009 Page 7

 For more news on Kaiparaʼs environmental issues go to
www.kaiparaforestandbird.org.nz

Capture a Wild RiverDAYthis

ON Asummer
WILD RIVER
Forest & Bird’s “Wild Rivers: Captured” photo
contest is a good excuse to get out on or
beside a wild river this summer. GET SN
Your favourite scene could be raging rapids or a
trickle in a braided river – so long as it’s an )RUHVW %LUG¶V
Captured photo
untamed waterway, we want to see it. good excuse to
The contest has two categories – a New Zealand beside a wild riv
river landscape without people and a river Your favourite s
raging rapids or
landscape with people. braided river ± V
We’d also like a few details about where you untamed waterw
photographed your river scene and why it’s see it.
special. The contest has
Prizes include a Leica camera worth $1700 and ± a New Zealan
outdoor equipment worth $900. scape without p
Photos must be taken this summer and digital ODQGVFDSHZLWK
also like a few d
entries can be submitted from January 1 to March where you phot
15. Craig Potton is the judge, and prize winners ULYHUVFHQHDQG
will be announced on March 31.
More information will be at Prizes include a
worth $1700 an
www.forestandbird.org.nz from November. Email ment worth $90
entries from January 1 to photo- be taken this su
comp@forestandbird.org.nz entries can be s
January 1 to Ma
Potton is the jud
Enter your Wild River photo to be in to win a winners will be
Leica Camera or Outdoor Equipment this March 31.
summer.
More informatio
www.forestandb
November. Ema
Tutoko
Tutoko River, near River
Milford near
SoundMilford Sound
Photo: Craig Potton January 1 to ph
(Photographer: Craig Potton) comp@forestan
Get ready for a wet and wild day walks, displays and talks by sci-
on the last weekend of November. entists and other specialists.
Seen a Kaka in our area recently ?
Forest & Bird branches around
Please contact your regional field
WILD
Email your sighting
New Zealand are planning events details
officer or wild to
rivers campaign PAMP
to celebrate wild rivers and high-
leader Debs Martin for help or-
kakawatchnz@gmail.com
light growing threats from hydro
ganising your event. New Forest & B
and irrigation dams. pamphlets abou
We will send branches organising wild rivers and t
Branches are working with other a Day on a Wild River promotional threats they fac

Kaipara Did you know ?

groups just as keen to protect wild material and help to publicise their
rivers, including anglers, kayak-
ers, rafters, trampers, freshwater
day with local news media.
from hydro and
irrigation dams
are available fro
scientists, regional authorities and DAY ON A WILD RIVER Central Office.
the Department of Conservation.
Forest and Bird is the only indigenous, independent ɿ November 28 or November Order pamphlet
The day aims to show the won- 29 at a wild river near you.
organisation that gives nature a voice in New Zealand.
ders of wild rivers, with branches ɿ More information: Debs Mar-
from Nicole
Seminiuk at 04
We protect native plants, animals and wild places on land
planning games and activities for
children, fishing demonstrations,
tin at 03 545 8222 or 385 7374 or
d.martin@forestandbird.org. n.seminiuk@for
and in our oceans through the work of our professional staff
river crossings, guided bush nz z

and a network of 3branches and volunteers around New

Zealand. Forest and Bird is a charity and does not receive
ANY government funding.
We rely on donations, membership support, funding grants,
bequests and corporate donors. We rely on your support,
both locally and nationally. For information on national
campaigns go to www.forestandbird.org.nz

Coastlines October 2009 Page 8