Pukaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre staff were quite amazed last year when after more than 20 years of no takahe laying eggs in the lower North Island wildlife centre, staff were surprised to find the mother sitting on an egg. Two eggs were finally laid in October last year.

The mother takahe was believed to be past breeding age, but she was sitting on an egg.
Takahe are endangered native birds with a population of only 327, including 100 breeding pairs.Todd Jenkinson said there are now 347 takahe around the country. They are endangered native birds and include 100 breeding pairs.

The Takahe were originally confined to Fiordland west of Lake Te Anau. They have a head and neck of iridescent indigo blue with back and tail olive green, with white under the tail, scarlet and pink beak, red legs and feet. You will know one if you ever see one.

Even though the Pukaha staff had assumed the 13-year-old Fomi would not have any more offspring, they were hoping the egg would produce a chick. The team were keeping a close eye on development and hoping the egg would produce a chick.

If the chick had hatched at the centre it would be the first Takahe chick hatched there in two decades.

At a fairly recent DU Manawatu Chapter dinner, our president John Cheyne successfully bid for a weekend at Jim Campbell’s (one of DU’s patrons), lodge near Mount Bruce in northern Wairarapa.

“I last visited Jims property in 1982,” John said. “It was soon after the pond had been constructed and was unfenced and not planted. What a difference 33 years makes!!!”

Gail (John’s wife), and I had a magnificent weekend that involved a guided tour of the farm and all Jim’s wetlands. The hospitality and company was magnificent, the venison tender and the whiskey smooth. A big thank you to Jim.”

John Cheyne

The Wairio Wetland Restoration has taken another step forward with the completion of the 1.7 km Bund Wall linking Stage 1 and Stage 4. If it is as successful as the Bund in Stage 4 we will have another 15 to 20 hectares of shallow open water with low islands scattered throughout.

This type of habitat is an ideal breeding and feeding area for a wide variety waterfowl such as swan, geese, bittern, royal spoonbill and of course ducks.

The Bund has been fenced to keep stock out as well as protect planting.

A planting day, held on April 21 was attended by about 40 people including students from a local school and Taratahi Agricultural College, members of the South Wairarapa Rotary and a variety of people from DU, Greater Wellington Council and the local district.

We received $2500 worth of plants from the Honda Fund, as well as three people from Southey Honda in Masterton to help with the planting.

Start time was 10am and 2000 plants were in the ground by 12 noon, just in time for lunch provided by Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Special thanks go to The Game Bird Habitat Trust, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Nikau Foundation, Pharazyn Trust and South Wairarapa Rotary Club for their generous sponsorship.

It was an excellent day my thanks to all involved.

We now await rain to see just how successful we have been.

Ross Cottle

It gives me great pleasure in presenting my annual report for 2014-15. As you will read we are not short on challenges.

Over the last 12 months we have had a number of highs and the odd low. Starting with the low, we have the same problem faced by DU Canada, DU USA and many other New Zealand based organisations in trying to maintain the number of members. Our membership is aging and few younger people are joining.

The DU Board have over the last four years sought advice on our future direction and increasing membership. This included aligning ourselves more closely with other similar organisations which are experiencing similar problems. Unfortunately people appear to have a greater array of demands on their time and this seems to reduce their desire to be members of organisations like DU. Declining membership naturally impacts on income. Any DU member with a magic wand and a few pearls of wisdom on the issue please let me know.

In spite of this problem DUNZ and its wetland conservation arm, Wetland Care NZ still punch well above their weight in terms of what they are achieving. The Wairio wetland project in the Wairarapa continues to be our major wetland restoration project. The recent construction of the long bund to better retain water in Stages 1-3, highlights what can be achieved when collaborating with others. This $30,000 project received magnificent financial support from the Clean Up Wairarapa Moana Fund (Greater Wellington Regional Council), NZ Game Bird Habitat Trust, South Wairarapa Rotary Club, Nikau Trust and Pharazyn Trust. While DU’s finances are limited, we are on the lookout for other worthwhile projects where DU seed funding can leverage contributions from other organisations.

Fund raising is important for DU and the Manawatu and Wairarapa Chapters do an excellent job in organising the pre waterfowl hunting season clay target field shoot which results in a welcome donation towards our wetland projects. Our AGM weekend also generates valuable income.

DU is still involved with conservation programmes with blue duck (whio), brown teal (pateke) and white swan.

A new project DU is supporting is the doctorate study on the endangered bittern at Lake Whatuma in Hawke’s Bay being undertaken by Emma Williams, Massey University. Her findings will assist the conservation of this flagship species, which in turn will lead to improved wetland outcomes nationally.

Our organisation is like an extended family with many members looking forward to the AGM to renew friendships. This is important, but could not happen without the excellent work of our Secretary Jan Able, Flight Editor Liz Brook and Web Site Manager Michelle Cooper. Your Board of Directors also work hard to achieve positive outcomes for DU. Being a Director is fun and involves working alongside a group of similar minded people. If you are interested in becoming a Director please talk to one of us.

Thank you for your on-going support. Wetlands are always going to need a helping hand.

John Cheyne, President

Welcome:
The President John Cheyne, welcomed members to the 40th Annual General Meeting.

Apologies:
Ian, Dawn and Paul Pirani, Nancy Payne, James and Di Martin, Dan Steele, Anne Russell, Chris Bindon, Clare Worth

Motion:
That the apologies tendered are accepted.
Moved: Di Pritt
Seconded: Ian Jensen
Carried

Minutes of the last AGM:
(Copies available at the AGM.)
Motion: That the minutes of the last AGM be accepted as a true and complete record.
Moved: John Bishop.
Seconded: Jim Campbell.
Carried.

Matters arising from the 2013 minutes:
No matters arising.

President’s Report:
John Cheyne (Circulated in Flight #164, copies available at the AGM.) -
John thanked the Board for their contribution.
- Talked about Bittern research which the Board is supporting to $2.5K
Motion: The President’s report is accepted.
Moved: John Bishop, Seconded: Jim Campbell.
Carried.

Matters arising from the President’s 2013 Report:
No matters arising.

Financial Report:
John Bishop
John presented the Financial Report which is subject to review Income $61K Expenses $68K - Our membership is waxing and waning. -

Change in AGM receipts due to way accommodation was charged.
- Chapter donations are half.
- Still a deficit of $7K.
Motion: That the 2014 financial report be accepted.
Moved: John Bishop, Seconded: Jim Campbell.
Carried.

Waterfowl and Wetlands Trust Report:
David Smith.
A/Cs completed and reviewed.
The Financial Year ends 31 December.
Funds were up from $415K to $437K, an improvement of our position by 8.4%.
As always subject to $$ fluctuations however fund is in good shape.
Moved: Di Pritt,
Seconded: K Barnes.
Carried.

Election of Officers:
Board Election: The President read out the following Statement:

The Constitution states that the Board should consist of not less than six, of which half, but not more than two thirds shall be permanently appointed Directors. As of right, the permanent appointments are the Chairman, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Other permanent appointments are Neil Candy and William Abel.

Nominations for the Board:
As there are no new nominations the existing board members, Jim Law and John Dermer, be re-elected.
Moved: David Smith,
Seconded: Glenys Hansen.
Carried.

Reports:
Wetland Care: William Abel (tabled).
Royal Swan Report: William Abel (tabled).
Website Report (tabled).
Michelle Cooper (webmaster) covered off her report.

Are you ready for the Ducks Unlimited 41st AGM 2015, Conference and Dinner, July 31 to August 2.

The Distinction hotel in Palmerston North is the venue. The rooms are comfortable, and the food is excellent. Yip – I have eaten there.

A bus trip to view the lovely Rangiwahia Wetlands is a scenic ride there and back, and Mike Bourke’s Wetlands have been a true labour of love. I hear there are even a few trout swimming around there.

Lunch at the refurbished Apiti Country Pub, (now called a bar and grill). Apiti still seems to have that slightly “wild-west” flavour. Soak up the atmosphere.

Back in town in time for a drink or two before dinner and time to browse around the silent auction goods. Dinner followed by what is often the highlight – the real action auction.

Sunday morning 9am – hopefully no hangovers – Emma Williams can bring us up to speed on her research into bittern at Lake Whatuma.

So – as they used to say when many of us were younger – “See you there or be square!”

If you have not received the Conference flyer, please contact DU's efficient secretary Jan Abel. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Or as a last resort you can contact me. My email and phone number are at the bottom left of page 2.

Liz Brook

I recently returned from a day looking at some coastal rivers and wetlands in Hawke’s Bay with Regional Council staff. On this occasion the focus was not birds but whitebait, and in particular inanga. Inanga are one of five species of native fish that make up the national whitebait catch. In my region inanga make up about 90 percent of the catch.
So what is the connection with DUNZ? 

Inanga spawn amongst the bank side vegetation of the lower reaches of rivers like the Tukituki, Ngaruroro and Tutaekuri at the top of the spring tides, normally during April to June. During the next sequence of high tides the eggs, about the size of a pin head, hatch and wash out to sea and then return to the rivers six months later as the whitebait most of us love eating. Those that avoid capture spend the next year in the river and adjacent wetlands before returning to these very small and critical spawning sites. Like waterfowl habitat, these sites are under threat from many directions and without protection the inanga could locally become extinct.

Habitat protection is the key whether you are a duck or native fish. Our wetland work normally benefits much more than birds.

Keep up the good work. See you at the AGM in Palmerston North 1-2 August.

John Cheyne

Boggy trapping progress June, 2015.

Steve Playle completed two years of trapping at Boggy wetlands at the end of June this year.

He sent the following report:

Interestingly predator numbers have not reduced since the first year off trapping was completed. There is currently 94 trapping sites established around the project area now so trapping hours have increased substantially meaning that more traps have been available for predators to encounter than was the case in the first year.

Trapping Period	Cats	Ferrets	Stoats	Weasels	Rats	Hedgehogs	Mice	magpies	Hawks	Rabbits
2014/2015	20	60	2	18	87;	169	70	10	11	4
2013/2014	20	43	1	13	52	159	29	10	2	1
Over 2 years	40	103	3	31	139	328	99	20	13	5

Steve Playle
Biosecurity Officer