The rainy summer may be dampening the spirits of our visiting tourists but it’s great weather for geckos and put a big smile on the face of Project Island Song’s Project Manager, Richard Robbins. Monday 5 February was the latest native species reintroduction to Ipipiri, the Eastern Bay of Islands, this time 50 Duvaucel’s geckos. “The release day was blisteringly hot, so this rain and cooler temperatures is a real plus for us and our precious new arrivals” says Richard.
We’d like to update everyone on yet another very successful Project Island Song native bird reintroduction. 40 kākāriki, the native red crowned parakeet, were the latest addition to take wing on Moturua Island in the Bay Of Islands, on June 13th in near perfect conditions. The event was pulled forward 24 hours because of the gale force winds predicted to be on their way, but it went off well with only a slight delay because of fog at the Auckland Heliport postponing the helicopters' take-off. It took a year’s planning to get permits and processes in place and so make it the very smooth operation it was, says project manager Richard Robbins.
When: Sunday 28th May 2017 Where: Urupukapuka Island
Guardians of the Bay of Islands needs help to plant 1500 native plants at a new site at Urupukapuka Bay and, for the third year, and 250 at Squid Bay, which will finish planting on that site. Fullers GreatSights has once again very generously offered free transport to Otehei Bay for 86 volunteers planters in its vessel Te Papahu.
A big welcome to Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands who have become a Project Island Song supporter and have joined our Corporate Membership group.
Unwanted invasive lizard species in the Bay of Islands
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The plague skink (Lampropholis delicata), sometimes known as rainbow skink, is a small lizard introduced to New Zealand from Australia. Although smaller than native skinks, they do look very similar.
Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work! Thanks to Rana, Viki and the REP team who have worked tirelessly over Christmas/New Year as camp hosts, as well as maintaining tracks, biosecurity monitoring, pest incursions - and that's when they're not responding to all sorts of call outs on the mainland as part of the Rawhiti Rural Fire/First Response Unit. Viki organised a mannequin challenge at all the Urupukapuka campgrounds on New Year's Eve. Check it out here!
It has been a very busy season with pest incursions and unwanted pet visitors on the island wildlife sanctuaries. Since Christmas, the fortnightly island checks have detected pest-mammal foot prints and dead rats in traps which triggered our pest incursion response operations. To maintain the islands’ pest-free status this response included the setting up of extra tracking tunnels, rat traps on Poroporo, Urupukapuka and Okahu, and rodent dog surveillance work.
