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Ashley Estuary
September 2, 2019

Ashley Estuary Predator Trapping

The Ashley estuary is an internationally important wetland that hosts migratory national and international (e.g. bar-tailed godwit) species as well as permanent residents. Over 90 species of birds have been recorded. A Birds New Zealand 5 December 2018 survey in the estuary counted 348 birds including 320 waders, not including black-backed gulls that could have numbered in the hundreds. Only Lake Ellesmere had a higher count of wader species in Canterbury, but due to the large size and difficult access to that lake, ornithologists wanting to see a range of bird species always go first to the Ashley estuary. The estuary is also an important food source for braided river birds such as wrybill, black-fronted tern, black-billed gull and banded dotterel that breed higher up the Ashley River.

Ground predators (ferrets, stoats, weasels, hedgehogs, rats and feral cats) are the main threat to the birds – especially when nesting or at their juvenile stage. The trapping group (currently 9 members) was set up by BRaid to help extend the trapping programme that we run further downriver.

The estuary trapping group maintains 139 traps around the margins of the estuary. Most of these traps are DOC 200s, which can catch and humanely kill most predators except feral cats. An additional 16 traps specifically to kill feral cats have been sited away from houses so that pets are not targeted.

Since trapping began in July 2018 to late July 2019 a total of 290 predators have been caught.

breakdown predators trapped
Chair Report 2019 Use of the Ashley-Rakahuri berm

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Recent Posts

  • Gull disturbance January 19, 2021
  • Group update Jan 2021 January 17, 2021
  • 2020 Annual Bird Survey November 28, 2020
  • Creating bird habitat October 8, 2020
  • Group update September 20, 2020
  • Weed Removal Report August 5, 2020
  • Aspects of the Ashley Weed Problem June 11, 2020
  • Black-fronted Tern and Black-billed Gull colonies, 2019 – 2020 Season April 18, 2020
  • Overhead Line Bird Kill February 11, 2020
  • Fire and trapping update February 11, 2020
  • Drying river rewards birds February 3, 2020
  • Survey of the lower part of the Okuku River: November 2019 January 21, 2020
  • Lees Valley – Okuku and Ashley-Rakahuri Rivers: 2019 Breeding Season January 21, 2020
  • Ashley River & Estuary trapping update January 9, 2020
  • Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group update December 13, 2019
  • Ashley River & Estuary Trapping Update December 3, 2019
  • Annual survey (Nov 16, 2019) results November 24, 2019
  • Black-billed gulls looking to nest October 24, 2019
  • Ashley Update: October 2019 October 13, 2019
  • Use of the Ashley-Rakahuri berm September 5, 2019

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Photos: Grant Davey, Steve Attwood, Lynley Cook, John Dowding and Nick Ledgard © 2019 All Rights Reserved