Bringing back the birds to Ohope

Forest and Bird, Issue 295, 1 February 2000, Page 43

Bringing back the birds to Ohope

T= Eastern Bay of Plenty Branch of Forest and Bird received a large donation from an Ohope resident for a recent campaign to rid Ohope of animal pests, mainly possums and magpies. The campaign was organized by branch chair, Meg Collins, who started with a leaflet letterbox ‘drop’ along Pohutukawa Ave, from the old Ohope Hall to Maraetotara Reserve. There was an enthusiastic response from 16 residents whose properties backed onto the escarpment, together with the Ohope Primary School. ‘Ohope has one of the largest pohutukawa forests in New Zealand, says Meg Collins. ‘It has been targeted for possums by Department of Conservation, Environment Bay of Plenty and Whakatane District Council. Possums had been severely damaging the trees, and affecting nesting birds, and in particular the small population of kiwi in the Ohope Scenic Reserve.

The possums have now moved on to private land along the escarpment area of Ohope Beach, causing problems to landowners by munching fruit trees, roses, shrubs and even fossicking in rubbish tins. Between 20 and 30 bait stations were placed up in the escarpment by pest officer Craig Mill of Environment BOP, helped by two students from the Ohope Primary School, and the residents. "This is one of the first "urban self-help possum control" operations in New Zealand, and has been a real success.’ Meg says. ‘Already some of the bait has been taken and the residents will monitor and fill up their bait stations for the next three months. ‘Only by a real community effort can we hope to get rid of possums. No one agency can possibly do it by themselves, The possum eradication programme worked like this: e Environment BOP provided

the bait stations and expertise, © Forest and Bird paid for the bait and did the planning, ® the community filled and monitored the stations. Another part of the programme was a large anti-magpie operation at Otawairere over October. There have been many complaints about magpies in this area and their numbers have built up again. They are particularly vicious at this time of year during nesting and have been seen attacking other birds. A contractor, The Magpie

Man, was engaged and crews killed 88 magpies over a twoweek period. These included six pairs, eight juveniles, and 68 unmated birds. They also destroyed three nests, and observed a large number of wild cats. With this concentrated onslaught and the resulting decrease in the number of possums and magpies, there is already a noticeable increase in the native birds coming back to Ohope.