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Wetland on the true left of the Te Awa o Tukua Havelock River below Fan Stream

Newsletter #91

Top image: Wetland on the true left of the Te Awa o Tukua Havelock River below Fan Stream from Upper Rakaia Weed Strategy 2024-2029 p109.

Tēnā koutou,
 
Firstly, don’t forget that you can to see the 2024 Braided Rivers seminar presentation here. I’ve also added the presentations to web pages, for example, the presentation weeds is on, you guessed it, the main weeds’ page.
 
A few weeks ago you may have read about the sharks off Brazil testing positive for cocaine. That got me thinking back to a book I read years ago on the physiological and behavioural impact of artificial chemical compounds on wildlife, and I recalled this article on the effect of cocaine on European eels in rivers. I’m not suggesting our rivers are full of cocaine, but you have to wonder what behavioural effects that forever chemicals and toxins may be having on our fish and birds. I mention this because I had just finished reading A review of freshwater models used to support the regulation and management of water in New Zealand which concluded:
 
 “Water modelling in New Zealand is fragmented, under-resourced, under-supported and lacking leadership. Gaps, overlaps, inefficiencies and inconsistencies plague the use of modelling to support regulation and management of freshwater.”
 
If you don’t have time to read the report, take a few moments to look at the online storymap.
 
On some unrelated braided rivers news, but couldn’t help sharing, I’m being regularly treated to a musical wake up call around 7.15am each morning by an unusual (but wonderful) visitor out here in Oxford:
 
Kākā

Ngā mihi,

Sonny Whitelaw
 

Bird Surveys

  • Please remember to send me your bird surveys. These are added to each of the river pages on the website. which helps researchers and community groups when they’re looking back over past years to discern trends.

Bird Surveys: Request for help with research into Flight Initiation Distances

Project Aim
 

People walking nearby often disturb birds from their daily activities – feeding, resting, and socialising. When this happens regularly, there may be effects on body condition, stress levels, and productivity and avoidance or decreased use of resources (nesting or foraging areas).

To help protect birds from regular disturbance by people, we need to estimate the distances over which these effects occur, so that we can recommend protective buffers around habitat of bird species of concern.

These buffer distances may be used, for example, during construction of infrastructure, or designing where in a reserve a walkway may go to avoid disturbing native, and particularly threatened, species.

For most birds, we don’t know these distances.

How you can help
 
We are collecting data on the distances birds become alert to us, and when they flush/move away or start distraction behaviour.
 

But we can’t be everywhere at once or study all species, so we’d like your help.

Do you walk somewhere where birds are? Are you happy to collect data?

Collecting data is not too onerous. Just pop a datasheet (xls file) in your pocket and a pencil, and if you notice any birds when you are out and about, note the distances at which they became alert to you and either fly, move away or begin distraction displays (more information: PDF)

You can then post the datasheet (or scan and email it) to:

Kerry Borkin
DOC Office
PO Box 528. Taupo 3351
 

News

Reports

Potts River below the Hakatere Potts Rd bridge November 2018 Potts River below the Hakatere Potts Rd bridge April 2024
Potts River below the Hakatere Potts Rd bridge, April 2024 (upper) and November 2018 (lower). Sustained control of broom in recent years appears very successful (including 2017/2018 control visible on the right of the lower image), and large floods have reworked some previously stable areas of riverbed. (Upper Rakitata Weed Strategy p7)
Read more

Research

Donations

BRaid is an Incorporated Society (No: 2453663) with Charitable Status  (Registration Number CC50089). Membership is free but donations are much appreciated. Donations can be made to BRaid Inc. Account number: 01 0877 0818466 00. Please include your name in the reference line and ideally email us, so that we can thank you and send you a receipt. Donations are tax deductable citing our NZ Business Number 9429043210572.

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