Stoat in trap

Chris and I spent Sunday morning, 12/10/14,  checking the stoat traps and refilling the bait stations.

We were amazed to find all the bait had been taken in 3 weeks and were delighted to add two more stoats to our tally – a total of 4 this year on our property.

Chris dealing with dead stoat

It is hard to know whether this is a credit to our stoat-catching skills or an indication of how many stoats exist in the valley.  However, we have increased our efforts in recent months and feel sure the bird chorus is louder.

The afternoon was spent weeding; in particular removing a large amount of asparagus fern which was becoming established along one section of the BNZ Track.  Cotoneaster was also targeted at the bottom of Mt Pleasant Drive, along with other weeds including pampas and wilding pines.