Rotopounamy traps - A and B-line

[We are getting closer to launching a new PT website. It will have a blog for 'Trappers, Bird Watchers and Botanists' and this is an example of the conversations we will have on there. Ideally all posiitive, not much moaning, but sometimes 'questioning' as well.]

Today Dianne and Helen checked B-line (Te Pounamu Saddle Road) while I checked A-line (Up on the east side of that road). I only found one fresh rat at the Lake Rotoaira end of the road (A51), while Di and Helen caught 5 rats (of which 2 babies) on B-line. So they are coming back after initial great success with the 1080 drop. Are the tourists feeding them with junk-food left-overs? Do the motor-homes bring them in (several helped fill the carpark on a week-day)? It's a worry. It reminds me, that we should take brochures for refill and hand-out when we go up to the lake.

Very positive news is the number of native birds and their song, which was louder than I have heard before. We reported several more Kaka sightings today from both lines and I talked to a tourist-guide who had noticed the same.

One recommendation from our experience today: can we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make sure, that every person who checks one of the Rotopounamu lines records their visit, firstly in the roster, secondly in TRAP.NZ and thirdly in an email (LATER IN THE BLOG). Not only volunteers; NO exception for DOC people. Helen and Di found (at least part of) the B-line freshly, recently baited, even though I had checked the roster and Trap.NZ, concluding that B-line had not been checked since 25 October. This might put some volunteers off from coming FROM TAUPO WITHOUT COMPENSATION to find someone has beaten them to it.

Cheers, Roel

From: Sarah O'Sullivan <purplegeckos@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 10:57 PM
To: Shirley Potter; Nicholas Singers; 'Roel Michels'
Subject: Rotopounamu traps 

Just to touch base after checking G line last week – absolutely nothing found in the traps!!! How did you go Shirley on CDF?

Lots of Kaka heard from the beginning of the loop track by the sign,  right through to F1 – what a pleasure😊

 Cheers

Sarah