Speaker: Adam Willetts
Group/Project: Ranger/Project Manager – Bream Head Conservation Trust
- Species success through intensive control and monitoring.
- Grey Faced Petrel breeding success took 3 years 2015 – 2018
- Used acoustic equipment in 2015 to establish ground breeding calls and found a burrow site with 3 eggs. All eggs were predated by rodents
- 2016 – intensified predator control around the site to be comparable to normal standard elsewhere in reserve, eggs hatched to chicks. All chicks predated by stoats.
- 2017 – 1080 ground based operation – intensified trapping, monitoring at GFP site including 10 infrared cameras. Chicks survived to fledging and confirmed by DOC and sea bird experts.
- Potentially first community-led project to have successfully fledged GFP without a predator proof fence on the mainland.
- Advice – worth with students and volunteers – great source of help!
- Monitor via simple tools like chew cards and tracking tunnels, acoustic recorders, pitfall traps
- Start small then expand once successful
