Winter 2015

Takatu Landcare Group Newsletter

Index

Page 1 - Committee Activities - Baddleys/Campbells Bay activities

Page 2 - Christian Bay Activities - Buckletons Bay Activities - Christian Bay Wetland

Page 3 - News fromTawharanui - Stoat Trap Lines

The Committee met in February for the AGM and again in April. Both occasions were kindly hosted by Jill and Peter at the Tawharanui Lodge. At the AGM the appointed committee for the year was: Peter Salmon (Chair), Mary Birdsall (Secretary), Simon Barclay (Treasurer), Jon Monk (Newsletter/ Communications), Chris Scott, Sue Crawshay, Colin Wards, Claire Keightley, Malcolm Harrison (non-voting Auckland Council representative), Peter Sherwin, John Lawrence, Sara Lewis, Pam Raspe, Karisa Pearson.

The Committee’s focus in the last 6 months has been: • stoat trap lines • climbing asparagus eradication programme • storage for herbicides and equipment • wetland ecology review.

Baddleys/Campbells Bay Activities There have been three working bees in Baddleys Bay so far this year. These have generally been weeding activities: removing agapanthas on the triangle as you drive down into the bays; clearing gorse, blackberry and tobacco weed from the riparian strip along the creek. There was also some clearing of smothering kikuyu and other weeds where new native plants were planted last winter. Weed bags are reported as being used successfully, even for agapanthus [hope the seed heads were removed first].

Activities of the Takatu Landcare Group since November 2014.

Visit NatureSpace (Takatu Landcare Group page) for the latest information, news and photos about activities and events, and to read the minutes of our meetings:

http://naturespace.org.nz/groups/takatu-landcare-group

Committee Activities

Page 4 - Wasp Problems - Herbicide and Equipment Storage - Upcoming Events

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Takatu Landcare Group Summer 2014/5

Buckletons Bay Activities Council completed a second spray program to knock back the bamboo and pampas which was starting to recover at the beach end of the walkway. The bamboo seems to be under control but the young pampas are springing up in new areas.

There were no formal working bees through the summer, but weed bags were placed at the top back corner and reserve end of the public walkway. Individuals have been tending last winter’s plantings, trying to keep the kikuyu and Japanese honeysuckle at bay. A community working bee scheduled for Queen’s Birthday weekend to clear last year’s plantings of weeds was rained off (thank you to all who said they would attend). However, the work was competed successfully the following weekend by a small group of enthusiasts; thank you Sue, Jon, Isabel, Bubbles, John and Bruce (for the offers of tea and scones).

Christian Bay Activities On Sunday 26 April there was a working bee organised to target tobacco weed (woolly nightshade, Solanum mauritianum) on some of the properties in the area. About 10 volunteers had a very constructive and energetic day. If you don’t know what tobacco weed looks like, here is a photo. Its most distinctive feature is its stale tobacco smell. It spreads readily and grows rapidly, particularly at bush margins. It can also be a significant irritant to nose and throat.

We are now into the second year of funds made available through Auckland Council and the Rodney Local Board for professional spraying of climbing asparagus in the Christian Bay area. There is a challenge in dividing available resources between heavily infested areas not previously hit and following up in areas previously sprayed. However, progress is being made. Also, the Christian Bay bach owners have agreed to fund a weed and pest control programme on their properties. Climbing asparagus and rats are their first priorities.

Tobacco weed

Tobacco Weed attack team

Christian Bay Wetland

With Auckland Council, Takatu Landcare commissioned an ecological report of the significant wetland inland from Christian Bay. The wetland has a problem with Argentinian rushes at the tidal end and we want to work out a restoration plan for dealing with this problem. Sarah Whitwell from Thomas Civil and Environmental Consultants recently completed the ecology review which has been submitted to Council. We are awaiting the report. Hopefully we will be able to play a significant role in restoring and managing this wetland over the coming years. The wetland is large for this area and is consider to have considerable ecological interest.

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Takatu Landcare Group Summer 2014/5

Stoat Trap Lines

In the community groups stoat trapping has been underway for some years. Baddleys have been catching plenty of rats, hedgehogs and weasels. At Buckletons, on one large property, 17 stoats or weasels were caught over the summer [not sure if that is good or bad news? Great that they are being caught, but worrying that there are so many]. Christian Bay caught their first stoat in April (see picture on NatureSpace).

Malcolm Harrison and Simon Barclay have been coordinating the setting up of Takatu Peninsular stoat lines. There will be about 50 traps, on 10 lines. Volunteers from the community have been placing and setting the traps, and groups will take responsibility for each line, checking and resetting the traps every 4-6 weeks.

The inaugural laying of traps was on Sunday 29th March. There was a great turn out of about 15 people. The first hour was spent talking about stoat control in general, going over how the DOC 200 traps work and where to place them. Then there was practice setting and un-setting them. Several people shared their experiences on trapping stoats, which was very helpful. The importance of Kauri Dieback precautions were discussed, and each team took with them brushes and bottles of Trigene disinfectant for cleaning boots/shoes before and after entering bush blocks. Two teams of 4 people each then headed out and laid the 10 traps allocated for the day. This involved 3 to 6 hours of work getting the traps in location. It was a great effort. There have been 2 or 3 subsequent trap-laying days, and more than half the traps are now in place.

Contact Simon Barclay (simon@salcombe.co.nz) if you want to be added to the list of helpers.

News from Tawharanui

One of the primary reasons for being of the Takatu Landcare Group is to generate a better pest buffer zone for Tawharanui Regional Park. The Park has had its predator-proof fence for 11 years, but that doesn’t stop weeds on cars, shoes and the wind, nor is it 100% effective against animal pests. For example, just in the last few months a ferral cat was found in the Park, and a stoat and 2 rats trapped. Progress is being made in the park on the effective control of rabbits with the overall aim of eradication.

On the plant front, Japanese honeysuckle was identified for the first time earlier this year, and things like climbing asparagus, moth plant and periwinkle are a constant threat requiring ongoing monitoring and control work. Hence the importance of trying to get on top of some of these invasive weeds and animal predators further back along the peninsular.

The bird life at Tawharanui is tremendous. The takahe now number about 11 and have settled in well; there are grey-faced petrel, diving petrel and little blue penguin burrows; North Island Brown kiwi; enough whitehead for a translocation to be made to Shakespeare reserve later in the year; about 140 robin chicks fledged this season; not to ignore the bellbirds, saddleback, kakariki, kaka and other species, which are now almost taken for granted at the Park but still rarely seen outside mainland or offshore islands. These birds alone are a good reason for wanting to ensure that an effective buffer zone is created across the Takatu peninsular.

Stoat Trap Laying

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Takatu Landcare Group Summer 2014/5

Don’t forget to visit the NatureSpace website. And if you have any interesting sightings, stories or photos about flora/fauna in the area email them to jasmonk9@gmail.com and

they can be loaded onto the website to share.

Wasp Problems

Wasps were a problem at Buckletons Bay in the late summer, and probably elsewhere on the peninsular too. Paper wasp nests tend to be small (up to tennis ball size) and fairly obvious; hanging from vegetation or timber structures. Common or German wasp nests are in north facing dry places, such as ground banks, house eaves or ceilings. They can get large, so it is best to locate them early.

Be observant of where wasps come from. They follow flight lines, and are most active around the nest at dawn and dusk; apparently they don’t normally travel more than 200m from their nest. If you find a nest don’t get too close unless you know what you are doing and are confident to deal with it yourself. Visit the DOC or Auckland Council websites to get more information on destroying wasp nests. Auckland Council will deal with nests on Council property. If it is on private land there are private contractors who specialise in wasp control.

Winter Event

Presentation from Auckland Council Biosecurity about the Discussion Paper for the Regional Pest Management Plan

Sunday 27 September 2015, 9.30am, venue to be decided

If you would like to be on the stakeholder list and be notified when the discussion document issues email: pestplanreview@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Herbicide and Equipment Storage

Intermittently we need to use chemicals to assist in weed control. Usually that is pastes for cut/paste of targeted weed species, but occasionally it may include spraying. Funds have been obtained from the Environmental Initiatives Fund to have a herbicide and storage shed to securely house the equipment needed (including traps). The shed will be on a private property in the Christian Bay area. A landowner on the Omaha side of the peninsular has also agreed for us to have access to secure storage space on their land. This will be most helpful for groups managing trap lines on that side of the peninsular.