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Back in February 2024, we were thrilled when Forest Bridge Trust detected a single long-tailed bat on a monitor placed along the edge of the bush on Mt Pleasant Drive.  It was a small sign, but an exciting one, hinting that our precious native pekapeka might be living close by.  Both the long-tailed bat and the lesser short-tailed bat are in danger of becoming extinct if more isn’t done to reverse their decline.  

On Friday, 29 August, bat expert Freddie Hjelm paid us a visit, accompanied by Hawke – New Zealand’s very first bat detection dog. It was such a joy to see Hawke again. We feel we’ve developed a special bond with him after spending so much time together, including over the past two Christmases.  Gentle by nature, Hawke is a delightful dog and perfectly suited to his detection role.   This time, however, Hawke wasn’t working, and he looked rather put out when Freddie instructed him to hop back into the ute!

During his visit, Freddie took a short walk through the bush, pointing out lots of promising roosting sites. He also showed us a pekapeka that had sadly fallen victim to a cat – a stark reminder of the threats these fragile creatures face. It’s hard to believe such tiny animals have such an impressive wingspan. Freddie also shared a few tips on how to spot pekapeka at night, leaving us with fresh hope that they could be visiting the area more often than we realise.

Just over a week later, on Monday, 8 September, Freddie returned to Leigh. With assistance from Jo Evans and Sue Gibbings, he installed three bat detection monitors across the surrounding area. These devices will quietly record through the nights, and in a few weeks, Freddie will return to collect them and analyse the results.

We’re eagerly waiting to find out what they reveal. Even one more detection would be a huge encouragement for our efforts to create a safe home for these endangered creatures.

Something about the bullock track at the bottom of Tenetahi Rd seems to strike fear into the hearts of even our most seasoned volunteers. Maybe it’s the seemingly impenetrable jasmine, the long stretches of ivy, the thick vines of Japanese honeysuckle, the mountains of ginger, or the tangled strands of blue morning glory. There’s also another possible deterrent… the pungent smell of the native stinkhorn fungus, Aseroe rubra (anemone stinkhorn). One thing’s for sure: when a working bee on the Bullock Track is mentioned, people suddenly remember they have other plans!

On Sunday 29 June, two unsuspecting volunteers; Damian Moody and his son Marcus, ventured into this notorious piece of bush. They tackled the jasmine with sheer determination and removed Japanese honeysuckle, and moth plant vines as thick as your wrist. They also emptied ten weed bags of mulch in preparation for the next working bee. Marcus returned the following day and discovered a foul-smelling anemone stinkhorn fungus; the odour of which is described as resembling rotting meat or animal feces.

In total, volunteers (including Marcus and Damian) clocked up 15 hours of hard work on 29 and 30 June. Whether they knew what they were getting into is unclear, but their contribution has made a real difference.

We’re incredibly grateful for the help of all our volunteers who have worked hard to restore this special area of bush.

Stinkhorn Fungus

Streamside work and Tradescantia Beetles

Keith and Chris have continued to chip away at tradescantia along the stream edges. It’s interesting how the tradescantia beetle, a form of biological control, has become established in some areas but not others.

Heather Johnston-Lee from Pest Free Leigh asked if we would help her locate some tradescantia beetles, so we joined forces on a beetle hunt. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any beetles but we did collect a bundle of chewed tradescantia leaves, including some that looked like they had eggs on them. While they didn’t look exactly like the eggs shown in a previous post, they will hopefully prove useful. We decided some investigation is needed into the habits and spread of this elusive little beetle, including the best time to harvest them.

Damian Moody, who hails from Lancashire, the windy north west of England, wasn’t deterred by the cold and blustery conditions when we teamed up on Sunday, 15 June to carry out much needed moth plant control on properties bordering the Mathesons Bush Road bush block. 

An experienced trapper and volunteer for Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society, Damian has been managing the trapping and baiting in the Mathesons Bush block for the past 12 months, as well as carrying out weed control along the trap lines.

We have previously used a plastic drum filled with water to dispose of ginger rhizomes.  Damian has tried a slightly different approach to get rid of moth plant pods.  After puncturing and bursting the pods to help them break down faster – they were put in a cattle trough filled with water and a lid made from planks of wood was placed on top.  A 10-gallon drum was also used for the same purpose. Hopefully, this method will turn the pods into a nutrient-rich slurry, serving as an excellent fertilizer for recently planted areas during the drier months.

Moth plant continues to appear in many places, and we are determined to eliminate as many vines as possible before they flower and the cycle begins all over again.

Valhalla’s mothplant control programme was running smoothly until Covid and Cyclone Gabrielle affected their regular working bees. There was a further setback when their 2024/25 summer control programme did not eventuate, leading to an explosion of pods. Members of their committee put out an SOS on Facebook.

The Big Moth Plant Fight was held on Saturday, 12 April. With help from members of the Leigh Coastal Care Group, we managed to collect 8 rubbish bags full of pods before joining them for a delicious lunch.

We will continue to support Valhalla with their trapping and pest plant control programme and look forward to the next working bee.

On 24 January, Hana Aickin and Amy Sadler. Catchment Co-ordinators from Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, carried out an eDNA test of the stream water on the border of the Erikson’s and Harvey’s properties. eDNA is a scientific method used to detect species by collecting their genetic material shed into the aquatic environment. They were excited that the test detected the presence of Giant Bully, a regionally vulnerable species in Auckland.

On 14 February, Hana Aickin, Richard Taylor and Briar Broad waded through the spring tide (2.7m HT) armed with their salinity metre and began to measure the salinity of the waterway until they found the upper limit of the high spring tide. This helped to narrow down where to search for potential spawning habitat for inanga. While they were up near the top of the saltwater wedge, they were delighted to find schools of inanga.

On 31 March Hana Aickin, Jo Evans, and Susan Gibbings watched the ebb and flow of the spring tide (2.7m HT) and marked where the tide reached, in order to narrow down the area to search for inanga eggs. A couple of small schools were observed upstream and it is hoped the forecast rain may act as a trigger for the inanga to make their way down to the spawning zone.