Sinbad Sanctuary Annual Report 2011/2012

The Sinbad Sanctuary Project
Sinbad Gully, Milford Sound
2011/12 Annual Report
2
The Sinbad Sanctuary
Project
Sinbad Gully, Milford Sound
2011/12 Annual Report
Gerard Hill, Hannah Edmonds, & James Reardon
Department of Conservation
Te Anau Area
October 2012
Cover image- Sinbad Gully head basin. James Reardon
© Copyright 2012, New Zealand Department of Conservation
Te Anau Area Office
PO Box 29
Te Anau 9600
In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing.
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CONTENTS
Executive Summary
7
1.0 Introduction
8
1.1 Flora
9
1.2 Fauna
9
1.3 Threat Status
10
1.4 Sinbad Gully Classification
11
1.5 Goals and Objectives
12
2.0 Predator Control and Monitoring
13
2.1 Stoat control
13
2.2 Rodent monitoring
15
2.3 Beech seed monitoring
16
3.0 Outcome Monitoring
18
3.1 Lizard monitoring in the alpine cirque
18
3.2. Whio monitoring
19
3.3 Fiordland tokoeka (kiwi)
20
3.4 Other wildlife sightings
21
4.0 Planned and actual budget 2011/12
22
5.0 Operational Objectives for 2012/13
23
6.0 Planned Budget for 2012/13
24
7.0 Acknowledgements
25
8.0 References
26
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Executive Summary
Through an ongoing partnership with Southern Discoveries and the Fiordland Conservation
Trust, the Department of Conservation has undertaken the third year of restoration in the
Sinbad Sanctuary Project in northern Fiordland National Park. The 2011/12 year saw a
continuation of the stoat trapping, beech seed monitoring, and lizard monitoring established
in the initial year of the project. Southern Discoveries has continued to provide the primary
financial support, including helping with stoat trap checks in the main valley.
A significant amount of silver beech seed was recorded during autumn 2011 in the Sinbad
Gully, and rodent and mustelid levels were predicted to rise above normal levels this season
in response. The effect of the beech seed in 2011 was evident along the stoat trap line this
season with elevated numbers of rats and stoats recorded. Beech seedfall monitoring was
repeated during autumn 2012, and a low level of seeding was found, suggesting that predator
numbers will decline heading into the 2012/13 season.
During the 2011/12 year a total of seven stoat trap checks were carried out recovering a total
of 19 stoats, 49 rats, and two mice. This was the highest annual number of rats and stoats
caught along the trap line since its establishment at the start of 2010, likely due to the
influence of the beech seedfall the previous season.
Monitoring of alpine skinks continued during summer 2012 with teams based in the Sinbad
head basin. Monitoring staff surveyed known skink habitat at the base of the head basin walls
and professional climbers were also contracted to access previously unsearched parts of the
steep to vertical rock wall to look for lizards above known site. Several lizards were found
during the abseil access searching including two Sinbad skinks, which has allowed the
original population estimate to be increased.
A new lizard monitoring method was trialled this season for the first time that involves
recording the numbers of individuals observed from identified viewing points over set
timeframes and in recorded weather conditions. The decision to move to this simple
monitoring method is driven by the resources necessary to adequately complete a more
thorough study of their population biology using proven and conventional capturerecapture methodologies.
6
1.0 Introduction
The Sinbad Gully is nestled beneath the world famous Mitre Peak in the northern part of
Fiordland National Park (Fig 1), and the Sinbad River flows into Milford Sound. The valley is
characterised by extremely steep glacially carved side walls with near-vertical granite cliffs.
This extreme topography is not only stunning but provides level of ecological isolation that
may have contributed to it being one of the last places in Fiordland where kakapo (Strigops
habroptila) were found on the mainland in the 1960s and 1970s. The Sinbad skink (Oligosoma
pikitanga) is currently only known from one small area of rocky habitat in the alpine cirque at
the head of the Sinbad Gully.
A great attribute of Sinbad Gully is its proximity to the tourist hub of Milford Sound. This
proximity provides an opportunity for demonstrating both the pressures on the mainland
forest ecosystem and also the tools and techniques available to mitigate these pressures.
The Sinbad Sanctuary project was established in 2009, as a partnership between Southern
Discoveries (a local tourism operator), Fiordland Conservation Trust, and the Department of
Conservation. The aim of the project is to enhance the ecological values of the area. This will
be done by reducing invasive pests to protect the endangered species that still survive in the
valley today, and possibly future reintroductions for species that no longer survive in the
valley.
Figure 1- Location of Sinbad Gully in the southwest of New Zealand.
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1.1 Flora
The predominant vegetation within the valley is silver beech-southern rata forest. Within the
lower valley pure silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii) on the valley floor gives way to
southern rata (Metrosideros umbellate) on the steep side-walls and at higher elevation. Hall's
totara (Podocarpus hallii) is prevalent in these areas also. Further up the valley silver beech
remains prevalent and mountain beech is encountered only on valley walls. Scattered rimu
(Dacrydium cupressinum) occur as emergent trees on northern aspect slopes in the midvalley. A few miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea) are also present in the valley.
Sub-canopy trees include kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa), lancewood (Pseudopanex
crassifolius), threefinger (Raukaua simplex), fivefinger (P. arboreus) and broadleaf (Griselinia
littoralis) and mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus). The shrub layer features peppertree
(Pseudowintera colorata), tree fern (Cyathea smithii), Neomyrtus pedunculatus and a number
of coprosma species; Coprosma rhamnoides, C. foetidissima, C. parviflora and C. colensoi.
Shield fern (Polystichum vestitum), hen and chicken fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) and crown
fern (Blechnum discolour) frequently forms a dense lower tier within the forest while the
Prince of Wales (Leptopteris superba) is mainly found on shadier and damper slopes.
In the upper valley, there are some large areas of shrubland. Seral species predominate
especially fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata), wineberry (Aristotelia serrata), and mountain
ribbonwood (Hoheria glabrata) and these form a low shrubby forest of about 4-6m in height.
The alpine cirque is dominated by Chionocloa rigida with dispersed C. crassiuscula and
patches of shrubs and large lose rock jumbles. The vegetation in the alpine cirque has not yet
been fully described.
1.2 Fauna
BIRDLIFE
Threatened bird species known to occur in the Sinbad Gully include Fiordland tokoeka/kiwi
(Apteryx australis), mohua/yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala), whio/blue duck
(Hymenolaimus malachorhynchos), weka (Gallirallus australis), kaka (Nestor meridionalis
meridionalis), kea (Nestor notabilis), and rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris).
The möhua population appears to be at similar levels to other Fiordland valleys with no rat
control in place, and is likely to be declining. Möhua were observed in just a few locations in
small groups (1-3) mainly at the head of the valley have been observed in very few locations
in small groups of one to three, usually towards the top end of the valley. South Island robins
(Petroica australis) appear to be absent within the Sinbad Valley, but have recently been
transferred to near Milford Sound township. Both mohua and robins would be ideal
candidates to reintroduce back to the Sinbad Gully.
The more common forest birds include brown creeper (Certhia Americana), kereru
(Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), bellbirds (Anthornis melanura), tomtits (Petroica
macrocephala), falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), yellow crowned käkäriki (Cyanoramphus
auriceps), and Grey warbler (Gerygone igata), are seen throughout the valley.
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LIZARDS
The alpine cirque of the Sinbad Valley is a highly significant location due to the reptile
assemblage it contains. Three species: the Sinbad skink (Oligosoma pikitanga), Cascade
gecko (Mokopirirakau aff. Granulatus ‘Cascades’) and cryptic skink (Oligosoma
inconspicuum) inhabit the same steep rock face habitat in this extreme alpine environment.
The Cascade gecko appears to be sparsely distributed through parts of northern Fiordland
(Edmonds, 2009), and is currently listed as Nationally Vulnerable (Hitchmough et. al. 2010).
The cryptic skink found in the Sinbad Gully falls within the species O. inconspicuum sensu
stricto (Patterson, pers. comm. 2010). The Sinbad population is morphologically very
distinctive, and is tag named the “Mahogany skink” due to its’ unique colouration, however it
falls within the O. inconspicuum clade. This species is ranked as not threatened/ in partial
decline.
The Sinbad Skink has been recently classified as Nationally Endangered.
A key element of the value of the Sinbad Gully alpine cirque is that three reptile species exist
in the same location in sympatry (occupying overlapping habitat and apparently occurring in
the same spatial niche). This is the only reptile ‘community’ of species known from
Fiordland’s alpine ecosystem and indeed appears to be one of the most specious alpine lizard
communities in the world (Edmonds et al 2010).
Our current understanding is that the Sinbad skink population is restricted to a very small
(~200m2) section of lower rock wall at the head of the alpine cirque at the head of the Sinbad
Gully. Their local distribution within the alpine cirque appears very restricted with regard to
available habitat which is why hypotheses were posed in the 2010 field season regarding the
thermal ecology of the rock face and the distribution of mice within the alpine cirque. It
seems that either local thermal/micro-climate may be one of the determining factors
dictating their habitat occupancy.
1.3 Threat status
STOATS
Stoats (Mustela erminea) are the only pest species currently managed in the Sinbad Gully.
Stoat control during the 2011/12 season consisted of 74 single-set DOC-200 stoat traps at
100m intervals along a seven kilometre line running the length of the main valley. The traps
in the Sinbad Gully were first baited and set in January 2010. This regime of trapping is
similar to stoat control occurring in other northern Fiordland valleys including the Eglinton,
Clinton, Arthur, and Cleddau which has proven to protect whio and kaka (Whitehead et al
2006; Dilks et al 2003). Other large species still remaining in the area that are likely to
benefit from stoat control are weka, falcon, and kea. Fiordland tokoeka (kiwi) may benefit but
there is no evidence to support this. In the Murchison Mountains a five year study suggested
that low intensity landscape level stoat suppression resulted in kiwi population approaching
stability but with little evidence of significant recruitment or recovery (Tansell 2009).
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POSSUMS
Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were liberated in the Sinbad by the Southland
Acclimatisation Society in 1890. They are now present through the valley including the
alpine cirque.
Low level possum control is periodically undertaken in the Sinbad Gully by private operators
for the purpose of commercial fur recovery. This is generally carried out along the valley floor
and accessible slopes using a combination of traps and cyanide paste, and is unlikely to
provide the scale and ongoing suppression of possum levels required to fully protect
vulnerable species.
RODENTS
Rodents are both primary consumers of seeds, invertebrates and in the case of rats, known
predators of eggs and chicks (Dilks et al 2003, White and King 2006). As such rodents
constitute a direct impact on ecosystem function and biodiversity. In environments where
fluctuating food abundance allow rodent population irruptions they play an even more
dynamic role as the primary prey of invasive predators such as stoats. The primary driver of
ship rat (Rattus rattus) and mouse (Mus musculus) fluctuations in the Sinbad Gully is
expected to be the flowering and seeding of silver beech, the most common forest species in
the area.
DEER AND CHAMOIS
Red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) were thought to have arrived in the gully as recent as the
1980s and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) began spreading into Fiordland from the north in
the 1970s, and so it is expected they arrived in the Milford area close to this time (King 2005).
Both species remain in low numbers in the Sinbad Gully today. Chamois have been
observed in the alpine cirque on a number of occasions during field trips. The Sinbad Gully
is near the northern limit of the chamois control operational area in Fiordland National Park
(Loe 2011). Deer remain in low numbers in the Sinbad Gully and no deer control currently
takes place. Deer sign has been observed more commonly in the upper half of the lower
valley system in the Sinbad amongst areas of fuschia and ribbonwood.
1.4 Sinbad Gully Classification
Sinbad Gully is part of Fiordland National Park. In 1974 Sinbad Gully was set apart as a
“Special Area” because of the presence of kakapo at the time and the largely unmodified state
of the vegetation. This status was lifted in 1992 when deer had become established in Sinbad
Gully and kakapo were thought to be no longer present, therefore it was considered no longer
necessary to restrict public access under the special area status. Sinbad Gully is now
classified as part of the “Eastern Remote Zone” under the Fiordland National Park
Management Plan (2007).
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1.5 Goals and Objectives
CONSERVATION GOALS
•
To enhance the ecological values of Sinbad Gully by reducing stoat and
possum numbers to very low levels and maintaining densities at these
levels.
•
Improve our understanding of the abundance and distribution
distribution of Sinbad
skinks to enable population trends to be monitored and managed to
ensure long term survival of the species.
species .
•
Assess options to reduce numbers of rodents in the gully
•
To reintroduce threatened species to Sinbad Gully
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES (for July 2011 – June 2012)
•
Maintain stoats at a low density using kill-traps
•
Undertake monitoring of rodent levels and beech seedfall
•
Carry out whio monitoring via walkthrough surveys; one during nesting and one
post nesting
•
Estimate abundance of Sinbad skinks at known sites
•
Continue to investigate wider distribution of Sinbad skinks through
methodological surveys of likely locations and following up apparent lizard
sighting from climbers.
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2.0 Predator control and monitoring
2.1 Stoat control
Stoat control in the Sinbad Valley currently consists of a line of 74 single stainless DOC-200
trap tunnels spaced 100 metres apart (Fig 2). During the 2011/12 season (June 2011 – June
2012) seven trips were made into the Sinbad Sanctuary to check and re-bait the stoat traps
(Table 1). Southern Discoveries staff assisted DOC staff on five of the seven trapping trips.
Teams were flown in from Milford and picked up by helicopter at the end of the day. During
each trip the traps were re-baited with a fresh egg and either beef or rabbit meat. Trap catch
was noted and recorded by DOC in an Excel spreadsheet (DOCDM-590734).
Figure 2- Stoat trap locations, Sinbad Gully.
Table 1- Stoat trap check trips into Sinbad Valley in 2011/12
Date
Bait used
Staff
Affiliation
7/09/2011
Egg & fresh beef
Megan Willans, John Whitehead,
Japke Dooderman
DOC & Southern
Discoveries
20/10/2011
Egg & meat
Megan Willans, Jo Whitehead
DOC
29/11/2011
Egg & fresh rabbit
Keri Antoniak, Paul Park, Carlos
Eduardo
DOC & Southern
Discoveries
20/01/2012
Egg & fresh rabbit
Keri Antoniak, Marcus Edin, Ken
Maillet
DOC & Southern
Discoveries
2/03/2012
Egg & fresh rabbit
Gerard Hill, Lucy Rossiter, Lyn
Trewella, Pablo Cardozo
DOC & Southern
Discoveries
19/04/2012
Egg & salted beef
Keri Antoniak, Jo Whitehead,
Japke Dooderman, Micah Hanson
DOC & Southern
Discoveries
2/06/2012
Egg & fresh beef
Gerard Hill, Lucy Rossiter, Hayley
Ricardo
DOC
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Table 2- Stoat trap results 2011/12
Date
Stoat
Rat
Mouse
Bird
Sprung
7/09/2011
2
10
-
-
2
20/10/2011
-
8
-
1
-
29/11/2011
-
1
-
-
1
20/01/2012
8
8
1
-
3
2/03/2012
7
6
-
-
-
19/04/2012
2
5
-
-
1
2/06/2012
0
11
-
1
5
TOTAL
19
49
1
2*
12
*1 small weka & a blackbird
Nineteen stoats and 49 rats were caught in the Sinbad Gully during the seven trap-checking
trips in the 2011/12 year, the highest total of each since trapping began in early 2010. More
animals were trapped in the lower half of the valley compared with the upper half, this was
most apparent for stoats with five being caught in the upper half and fourteen caught in the
lower half of the trap line, possibly suggesting that a degree of invasion of dispersing stoats
from the wider area was happening as is common elsewhere during summer months. It is
planned to install a small number of extra stoat trap tunnels either side of the Sinbad River
mouth at Milford Sound to help pick up stoats moving around and entering the valley at
these points.
Trials and development of improved pest control technology is currently underway,
including self-resetting traps and multi-kill toxin delivery tunnels. If proven to be effective,
these new style tools that can deliver several pest kills before needing to be serviced could
have direct benefit if applied in valleys such as the Sinbad. Although unlikely to completely
replace existing methods in the short term, these new tools being developed and tested are
likely to be of most benefit when deployed in addition to current tools in areas where
remoteness, cost, and terrain make them a more effective option.
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Stoat and Rat captures in Sinbad Valley 2010-12
14
Stoat
2011-12 season
Rat
12
Numbers caught
10
8
6
4
2
0
Fe
b10
M
ar10
Ap M
r- ay10 10
Ju
n10
J
ul10
Au
g10
Se Oc No De
p- tv- c10 10 10 10
Ja
n11
Fe
b11
M
ar11
Ap M
r- ay11 11
Ju
n11
J
ul11
Au
g11
Se Oc No De
p- tv- c11 11 11 11
Ja
n12
Fe
b12
M
ar12
Ap M Ju
r- ay- n12 12 12
Figure 3 – Stoat trap results since trapping began.
TRACK MAINTENACE
Track maintenance contractors were working in the Milford area doing maintenance on trap
lines in the Joes and Arthur valleys in May 2012. The opportunity was used to get the Sinbad
trap line re-cut by Heslip Forest Contracting crews over two days. Vegetation re-growth was
cut, fallen trees were removed from the track, and extra markers installed which should mean
that the track will remain in good condition for another three years. This was the first track
maintenance undertaken since the route was first established in August 2009. Funding was
transferred from the deferred tracking tunnel monitoring to pay for the track maintenance.
2.2 Rodent monitoring
In December 2010 ten tracking tunnel lines were established, each with ten tunnels at a
range of elevations the length of the valley. The standard operating protocol to monitor
rodents was used (Gillies & Williams 2005). The lines are marked with flagging tape but
not cut; tunnel locations are marked with white triangles. The location of the tracking
lines are shown in Figure 4. Tracking tunnel results and grid references for individual
tunnel locations are stored in DOCDM-643024. The rodent monitoring lines were not run
this season to meet cost saving requests.
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Figure 4- Location of the ten tracking tunnel lines in the Sinbad Gully.
2.3 Beech Seed Monitoring
By collecting seeds in trays set through the forest and counting the number and species of
seeds present it is possible to predict future rodent abundance trends, for a comparatively low
cost. Rat and mouse numbers fluctuate in southern beech forest in response to food
availability, generally beech seed. Periods of high rat numbers are damaging to a variety of
native species, and substantial losses of bats, mohua, and other small forest birds have been
recorded following previous rat irruptions (e.g. 1999-2001, and 2006-07) in monitored sites
like the Eglinton Valley (Pryde et al 2005; Dilks et al 2003). Eight seedfall trays were set up in
the Sinbad Gully in December 2010. Each tray consisted of a plastic funnel suspended above
the ground by three metal stakes. A stocking is attached to the bottom of the funnel to collect
the seeds each autumn. Seedfall trays were established in pairs at least 50m apart and 50m
from the nearest large forest clearing. The seedfall trays are located throughout the length of
the valley. 2012 was the second year that seed fall was monitored in the Sinbad Gully.
The stockings were set up to start collecting on 2/3/12 and brought in on 7/6/12. The seed
analysis was contracted to Canterbury University, and full results are stored in DOCDM45754 which holds all Te Anau Area seedfall data.
There were a very low number of seeds recorded during autumn 2012; all seeds collected were
silver beech and none were viable. Seed fall density is usually reported as the number of seed
per square metre. The Sinbad site recorded an average of 18 seeds per m2 for 2012 (Table 3), a
very low amount. The result contrasts sharply with the previous year when an average silver
beech seed density of 3446 per m2 was recorded in the same trays (Fig 5). These seed fall
results are similar to what was recorded in other monitor sites this season in other parts of
Fiordland such as the Clinton and Eglinton valleys (Hill 2012a, 2012b).
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Table 3- Beech seed monitoring results for the Sinbad Gully, 2012.
Tray ID
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
Total
Started
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
2.3.12
Finished
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
7.6.12
Count
0
0
1
3
2
0
34
1
41
Viable
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Nonviable
0
0
1
3
2
0
34
1
41
Seeds
per m2
18
Annual beech seed density - Sinbad Gully
4000
Seeds / m2
3500
3000
Silver beech seeds per m2
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2011
2012
Figure 5 – Beech seed density in Sinbad Gully 2011-2012.
Figure 6 – Seed fall collecting tray
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3.0 Outcome monitoring
3.1 Lizard monitoring in the alpine cirqueJames Reardon & Hannah Edmonds
Lizard monitoring in the Sinbad Valley alpine cirque during the summer of 2012 followed
recommendations from the Sinbad Sanctuary 2010/11 report (Willans et. al. 2011).
Priority 1. Range extent of known Sinbad skink population
Sinbad skinks occupy a small (~200m2) area of the lower rock wall in the Sinbad Valley
alpine cirque. We have assessed the adjacent rock face and concluded that it is
unoccupied by the species, however we had not examined the less accessible areas of
habitat higher up on the rock face.
From the 10th ---- 11th of February 2012, Martin Wilson and Dave Vass, two professional
climbers from Abseil Access Ltd (Wellington), with assistance from James Reardon, Jono
More and Hannah Edmonds from DOC Te Anau surveyed a part of the sheer rock wall in
the Sinbad Gully cirque above where the skinks were previously known from.
Martin and Dave abseiled approximately 180m of the 300m+ rock wall in several stages
during two days of fine weather. They identified at least two Sinbad skinks, one Cascade
gecko, eight Cryptic skinks and several unidentified skinks in pockets of vegetation at
around 80 to 180m below the top of the rock wall (see figure 7).
Although only two Sinbad skinks were positively identified, only a relatively small
proportion of habitat was searched, therefore it is safe to assume the skinks occupy
suitable habitat on the wall, doubling our naïve population guesstimate (currently <500
individuals) toward <1000 individuals with <500 adult skinks. This assessment helped
inform the 2012 Species Threat Classification, in which O. pikitanga has been assigned
the status of Nationally Endangered with the qualifier of Conservation Dependent.
Cryptic skinks and Cascade geckos were also found on the relatively flat ground on top
of the wall, however Sinbad skinks appear absent. This, coupled with previous work
indicates the Sinbad skink’s range and habitat occupancy may be restricted by microclimate variables.
17
30m access hand line
Anchor station
Main ledge, skink and
gecko photos taken here
Other skinks and gecko
seen, no photos
50m abseil
50m abseil
100m abseil
Figure 7. Area of rock wall covered during search by Abseil Access team, showing known
Sinbad skink habitat in red. The area on top of the rock wall was also surveyed.
Priority 2. Monitoring for catastrophic change
As there is no monitoring to accurately estimate the Sinbad skink population we
developed and trialled a crude technique to monitor catastrophic changes in abundance
between seasons. Notes are taken on the numbers of individuals observed from
identified viewing points over recorded timeframes and in recorded weather conditions.
These crude counts may have the power, if repeated within season to provide comparison
between seasons capable of indicating catastrophic changes in local abundance.
James Reardon, Jono More and Hannah Edmonds spent three days from 12th ---- 14th
February 2012 gathering data for the new monitoring technique. One rather than two
specific locations within the skink habitat were used, due to lack of Sinbad skinks seen in
the second site. The following information was collected in fifteen minute segments from
9.30am to 5pm : air temperature (°C), sunshine minutes (0-15), wind speed (Kph),
humidity (%RH), rock surface temperature (°C), barometric pressure (hPa), total
individual adult Sinbad skinks, total individual juveniles (>140mm) Sinbad skinks, and
total individual Cryptic skinks. Temperature, wind speed, humidity and barometric
pressure were measured using a Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather meter. Rock surface
temperature was recorded using a standard digital temperature reader with sensor pad.
Total individuals seen over the three days of monitoring were three adult Sinbad skinks,
one juvenile Sinbad skinks and four Cryptic skinks.
The priority in this first season was to gather sufficient data to characterise the
relationship between detection probability and environmental parameters. However due
to fairly constant weather conditions and a lack of a second site it will require another
18
seasons worth of data before we can evaluate the utility of this crude yet cost-effective
methodology.
The analysis of data will use an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) between detection
probability determined by the number of skinks observed against the suite of
environmental covariates (once autocorrelation has been accounted for).
This would then allow us to repeat two day surveys in subsequent years and to compare
both the slope and intercept which would serve as a moderately robust indication of a
significant trend in abundance and therefore persistence or catastrophic change of the
population.
The compromise of this method is that it will require that we do not directly disturb the
skinks in a way that may influence detection, as would be the case if we continued to trap
them. This means we will be unable to continue to gather life history data such as
apparent growth rates and reproductive sizes and frequencies. The decision to move to
this simple monitoring method is driven by the resources necessary to adequately
complete a more thorough study of their population biology using proven and
conventional capture-recapture methodologies.
Priority 3. Survey new sites for Sinbad skinks
A brief lizard survey was conducted by Jono More and Hannah Edmonds on the summit
of Mitre Peak on the 22nd of February 2012. The aim of this survey was to follow up on a
skink sighting made two years earlier by a climber. A dark skink was photographed just
below the summit by Bruce Dowrick (personal communication to Hannah Edmonds,
DOC Te Anau Area Office). Methods used were visual searching using binoculars and/or
the naked eye, hand searching of potential retreat sites (e.g. under rocks, in vegetation
and crevices). The team spent 5 hours at the site in warm but overcast weather. No
lizards or lizard sign was seen.
The recommendation is to firstly follow up any new sightings of skinks in the alpine zone
in the vicinity of the Sinbad Valley, and secondly revisit sightings of skinks from Terror
Peak and Mitre Peak.
3.2 Whio (Blue Duck) monitoring
A river survey was completed by Max Smart and his whio detection dog Téa on the 25th
January 2012. This was timed to assess post breeding whio numbers in the valley. A planned
survey in December was not completed due to high river levels at the time.
RESULTS
A total of five whio were seen during the official survey, a single bird and two pairs. There
was sign of other birds found at two other spots along the river but these birds were not seen.
Another pair that was regularly seen before and after the survey were not recorded on the
survey day, but are assumed to hold a territory in the middle of the valley near trap site 30.
19
Figure 8 – Whio or sign recorded in Sinbad Gully during 2011/12. Pink dot = single bird; red
dot = pairs; yellow dots = sign of other whio.
Table 4 – Summary of whio sighting in the Sinbad Gully 2005-2012.
Season
Surveyed
river (km)
Pairs known Ducklings
seen
Juveniles
seen
Singles
seen
2005/2006
4
3
0
3
0
2006/2007
5
2
0
0
2
2007/2008
7
2
0
1
2
2008/2009
7
2
0
0
2
2009/2010
7
3
0
1
3
2010/2011
7
2-3
3
0
1
2011/2012
7
3
0
0
1
3.3 Fiordland tokoeka/kiwi
Two female and one male kiwi were transferred from the Cleddau Valley and released in the
middle of the Sinbad in February 2011. Each bird carried a transmitter so their fate could be
monitored. One of the female birds was found dead on 31/05/12. The cause of death was unknown
however the bird was not in optimal condition when transferred (Willans et al 2011). The other two
remaining birds were tracked and caught in February 2011, and again in October 2011 to remove
their transmitters. Both birds had put on weight and were found in the same burrow so are
thought to have paired up. No further close monitoring of this pair will be undertaken, however
the walk through call count surveys are likely to be repeated in 3-4 years times.
20
3.4 Other wildlife sightings
Möhua were heard calling at least two locations in the valley in during the 2011/12 season;
however they were in very low numbers, often single birds calling. Most sightings of möhua
were in the upper half of the valley, between stoat trap sites 6 and 17. Weka appear to be in
moderate numbers in the top end of the valley and in good numbers in the Sinbad head
basin. Kaka were heard in the valley on several occasions. No robins were seen or heard in
the valley again this season, confirming that they are most likely absent from the valley.
21
4.0 Planned and Actual Budget for 2011/12
Planned
Actual
Difference
Notes
Stoat trap servicing
Bait
Wages
Helicopter
Field equipment
Track maintenance
contractors
TOTAL
$320
$1,840
$4,745
$0
$171
$1,804
$3,807
$29
$149
$36
$938
-$29
$0
$6,905
$4,200
$10,011
-$4,200
-$3,106
Tracking tunnel monitoring
Helicopter
Wages
Groceries
Field equipment
TOTAL
$1,425
$1,456
$176
$200
$3,257
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$1,425
$1,456
$176
$200
$3,257
Lizard monitoring
Climbing contractors
Flights for contractors
Wages
Helicopter flights
Groceries
Field equipment
Satellite phone charge
TOTAL
$4,160
$500
$0
$1,425
$352
$100
$0
$6,537
$3,950
$0
$188
$1,547
$409
$40
$73
$6,207
$210
$500
-$188
-$122
-$57
$60
-$73
$330
Project management
$6,000
$6,000
$0
$22,699
$22,218
$481
$9,826
$6,307
$3,519
Reduced to fit overall donation reduction
Donation from Southern
Discoveries to FCT
$32,525
$28,525
$4,000
$4 k reduction as requested by SD &
FCT
Transfer from FCT to DOC
$27,037
$23,000
$4,037
$4 k reduction as requested by SD &
FCT
Operating Total
Possum control
Annual cost averaged over 5
years
Subsidised by other DOC trapping programmes
Shared flight cost with tracking tunnel check
Spanners and scrapers for trapping
Not planned for
Checks not done to save costs
Checks not done to save costs
Checks not done to save costs
Checks not done to save costs
Less than estimate
Travel included in contractor costs
Not planned for
Extra person helped with work
Overestimated cost
No radio coverage in head basin
Part of reduction as requested by SD & FCT
Contribution to possum/rat control
funds held by FCT
22
5.0 Operational Objectives for 2012/13
Predator control and monitoring
Stoat control
•
Carryout eight stoat trap checks throughout the year, possibly using professional pest
control contractors to undertake the trap servicing to ensure regular servicing occurs.
•
Install up to ten additional stoat traps to help reduce reinvasion to the valley.
Possum and rat control
•
Investigate best method and cost for control in the Sinbad Gully.
Rodent monitoring in the forest and associated beech seed monitoring
•
Carryout tracking tunnel monitoring twice yearly in May and February (and on occasion
in August and possibly October in years of uncertainty around expected rat tracking).
•
Carryout beech seedfall monitoring in autumn (March-May), analysis funded by DOC
Monitoring of Outcome Species
Whio monitoring
•
Carryout two whio river surveys; one in December and one in January/February (funded
by DOC), plus casual observations while conducting other work
Lizard monitoring
•
Repeat new monitoring method for catastrophic change
•
Survey new sites for Sinbad skinks (funded by DOC)
23
6.0 Planned Budget for 2012/13
Planned
Notes
Stoat trap servicing
Bait
Wages
Helicopter
Additional buffer traps
TOTAL
$300
$1,408
$3,200
$700
$5,608
Tracking tunnel monitoring
Helicopter
Wages
Groceries
Field equipment
TOTAL
$1,424
$1,408
$200
$200
$3,232
Lizard monitoring
Climbing contractors
Helicopter flights
Groceries
Field equipment
TOTAL
$4,500
$1,600
$350
$600
$7,050
Whio monitoring
Helicopter
Wages
Dog handler
TOTAL
$712
$400
$0
$1,112
2 surveys
Project management
$6,000
Reporting etc
Operating Total
Possum control
Annual cost averaged over 5 years
10 traps
8 checks
2 checks
DOC funded
$23,002
$5,523
$4 k reduction requested by SD
Donation from Southern Discoveries to FCT
$28,525
$4 k reduction requested by SD
Transfer from FCT to DOC
$23,002
Contribution to possum/rat control funds held by
FCT
24
7.0 Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the substantial financial support provided by Southern
Discoveries, without which the Sinbad Sanctuary project would not be in place today. This
project is managed in partnership with the Fiordland Conservation Trust, who has provided
significant support to the teams at the Department of Conservation and Southern
Discoveries bringing all parties together to achieve the common goal of restoring and
monitoring the ecosystem in the Sinbad Gully.
Many people have assisted with work on the ground in the Sinbad over the last year. Thank
you to the team at Southern Discoveries for all their hard work assisting with stoat trapping
in the valley. The team included Japke Doodeman, Paul Park, Carlos Eduardo, Marcus Edin,
Ken Maillet, Pablo Cardozo, and Micah Hanson.
Department of Conservation staff that took part in the stoat trapping and monitoring of
native species in the Sinbad Gully included Megan Willans, Joanna Whitehead, Keri
Antoniak, Gerard Hill, Lucy Rossiter, Lyn Trewella, Hayley Ricardo, Hannah Edmonds,
James Reardon, and Jono More. Martin Wilson and Dave Vass from Abseil Access Ltd
(Wellington) were contracted to access the steep upper parts of the Sinbad cirque head wall.
Thanks to Jeff Shanks and Snow Mullally from Milford Helicopters who provided transport
into the area. Thanks also to the Heslip Forest Contracting crew who completed the track
cutting maintenance this season.
We would also like to acknowledge the group of people that first took the initiative to explore
the ecological values in the Sinbad alpine cirque and to document their new discoveries.
These people include Rod Morris, Tony Jewell, Trent Bell, Jinty McTavish and climbers
Craig Jeffries and Paul Rogers. Their efforts to publicise the unique wealth of undescribed
species in the area launched the revival of today’s conservation efforts taking place in the
Sinbad Gully.
25
8.0 References
Dilks, P; Willans, M; Pryde, P; Fraser, I. 2003. Large scale stoat control to protect mohua
(Mohoua ochrocephala) and kaka (Nestor meridionalis) in the Eglinton Valley, Fiordland,
NZ. New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2003) 27(1): 1-9.
Edmonds, H. 2009. Data deficient Fund report 2009 – lizard species in Sinbad Gully,
Fiordland National Park. Department of Conservation Internal Report. Te Anau Area Office,
Te Anau (DOCDM-452901)
Edmonds, H & Whitehead, J. 2010. Sinbad Skink Investigatory Study. Sinbad Gully,
Fiordland. Unpublished internal document, Department of Conservation, Te Anau Area
Office (DOCDM-715937)
Gillies, C., Williams, D. 2005. Using tracking tunnels to monitor rodents and mustelids.
Unpublished internal document, Department of Conservation (OLDDM-118330).
Hill G.S. 2012 a. Threatened Species Protection in the Eglinton Valley. Annual Report 2011/12.
Department of Conservation Internal Report. Te Anau Area Office, Te Anau (DOCDM1053026)
Hill G.S. 2012 b. Whio Protection in Northern Fiordland National Park. Annual Report
2011/12. Department of Conservation Internal Report. Te Anau Area Office, Te Anau
(DOCDM-1027521)
Hitchmough, RA., Hoare, JM., Jamieson, H., Newman, D., Tocher, MD., Anderson, PJ., Lettink,
M. and Whitaker, AH. 2010. Conservation status of New Zealand reptiles, 2009, New Zealand
Journal of Zoology, 37: 3, 203 - 224
Jewell, T. 2007. Two new species of Hemiandrus (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) from
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. Zootaxa 1542: 49 – 57, www.mapress.com/zootaxa/.
King, Carolyn M. 2005. The handbook of New Zealand mammals. Second edition, Oxford
University Press.
Loe E. 2010. Chamois Control in Fiordland National Park, 2009/10. Department of
Conservation, Te Anau Are Office. Unpublished report, DOCDM-603761
Nichol, R. 2001. Ecological Evaluation of the Sinbad Valley, Fiordland. Report following a
field assessment, 7-9th April 2001. May 2001. Contract Report to the Department of
Conservation.
Pryde M.A., O'Donnell F.J., Barker R.J. 2005 Factors influencing survival and long-term
population viability of New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus):
Implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 126: 175-185
Rance, B. 2011: Sinbad Valley Vegetation Report 2011. Unpublished internal document,
Department of Conservation, Southland Conservancy, Invercargill (DOCDM-689733).
Tansell, Jane. 2009. Fiordland Tokoeka Chick Recruitment Study, Murchison Mountains
2003 to 2009. Unpublished internal document, Department of Conservation, Te Anau Area
Office (DOCDM 463106).
26
Towns, D., Daugherty, C., Cree, A; 2001. Raising the prospects for a forgotten fauna: a review
of 10 years of conservation effort for New Zealand reptiles. Biological Conservation Vol 99,
Issue 1, Pg 3-16.
White, Piran C. L. & King, Carolyn M. 2006. Predation on native birds in New Zealand beech
forests: the role of functional relationships between Stoats (Mustela erminea) and rodents.
The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 British Ornithologists’ Union Ibis, 148 765–771.
Whitehead, A.L; Edge, K-A; Smart, A.F.; Hill, G.S; Willans, M.J. 2006. Large scale predator
control improves the productivity of a rare New Zealand riverine duck. Biological
Conservation 14 1: 2784 –2 794.
Willans, M.L. & Gutsell, M. 2009. Sinbad Sanctuary Operational Plan. Unpublished internal
document, Department of Conservation, Te Anau Area Office (DOCDM-441498)
Willans, M.L. & Wickes, C 2010. The Sinbad Sanctuary Project Annual Report 2009/2010.
Unpublished report, Department of Conservation, Te Anau Area Office (DOCDM-691039).
Willans, M.L., Reardon J.T., Whitehead J., Edwards E., & Edmonds H. 2011. The Sinbad
Sanctuary Project Annual Report 2010/2011.
Unpublished report, Department of
Conservation, Te Anau Area Office (DOCDM-1054661).
27