Newsletter #67
Top Image: Kakī hatching Isaac Conservation Trust. This is the pair’s third clutch of eggs
Tēnā koutou,
Membership renewals are now due
Your $20 (or more if you are feeling generous) donation will give you full membership, which entitles you to hold office and vote. Your donation can be made to account number: 03 1351 0554552-02. *Please include your name in the reference line and email our treasurer so that we can send you a tax receipt. Donations to charities are tax deductable and BRaid is a Charitable Trust (Registration Number CC50089).
Non-paying members will be recorded as casual members.
If you would like to become a member (new members only), please complete this short form. All members are emailed newsletters like this one.
As we head into Christmas and you look around for some great presents, this gorgeous fundraising 2022 calendar from the South Bay Banded Dotterel study. They’re A3 poster sized, cost $26 per calendar, with postage additional of $10.40 or $14.70 for rural delivery (up to 3 calendars). Contact Ailsa: ailsaweta@gmail.com or visit her Facebook page.
Another great gift is these amazingly yummy award-winning ‘braided river bird’ themed cheeses from the small artisan cheesemaker, Karikaas. Not all supermarkets stock them but you can order online (nationwide delivery), or drop into their North Canterbury factory shop 156 Whiterock Road, Loburn, 11am-3pm Mondays – Wednesdays. Karikaas donate a portion of their braided river bird themed series to the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group. (I admit, my personal favourite is Pumamaha).
Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia ki ngā iwi me ngā hapū kato; Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all your friends and family, wherever they may be.
Sonny Whitelaw manager@braid.org.nz
Bird surveys:
- 2021 Arrowsmith South Ashburton Riverbird survey summary report (PDF)
- 2021 Upper Ashburton-Hakatere Riverbird survey summary report (PDF)
- 2021 Opihi Riverbird survey summary report (PDF)
- 2020 Waimakariri River (raw data on xls spreadsheet)
All other bird surveys are found on the relevant rivers pages on this website.
News:
- Respecting our precious birdlife; Jenny Hughey, ECan chair
- Critically endangered gulls settle near Opuha Dam in South Canterbury (Stuff)
- Not respecting our precious birdlife. Waimakariri River nesting at Woodstock Road: Unfortunately, the outcome from the Waimakariri this was not good.
- Stuff also reported this: Suspected dog attack causes 500 critically endangered gulls to abandon nests.
- The good news is that a colony of around 1,000 black billed gulls settled between Miners and McLeans Banks (no information if this includes birds from the abandoned Woodstock colony, but most likely it does).
- The colony of black-billed gulls that nests on the Ashburton River has returned again this year. Thanks once again to Steve Attwood for allowing us to use his photos to create a new sign (see below). And don’t forget, if you need signs, please let us know (check some other designs here). We can design these fairly quickly.
- November was the warmest month in record. This means toxic algae blooms are featuring sooner. Please keep an eye on ECan warnings or LAWA’s website as warnings are increasing.
- COP26: Bankrupting the Carbon Budget Part #2 : Part of BRaid’s climate project (working out the moving target had its moments). Or skip the preamble and go straight to a summary of the global plan and how we’re doing so far.
Research:
- Why are trees dropping so many nuts? (and we all know more mast years means more rats) Science magazine
- Is this way we reach PredatorFree2050 (and cope with more mast years)? Gene editing produces all-male or all-female litters of mice Science magazine
- Neural dynamics underlying birdsong practice and performance Nature
- A īnanga/whitebait spawning study by the University of Canterbury in seven Kaikōura waterways has helped build an understanding of how to protect and manage the future of the species.
