Alastair Mackintosh Reports: Hi Will. Better results this past month with 11 mice, 5 rats & 1 hedgehog. Family of quail still around with the seven “little bumble bees” now the size of their mother. Recent guests from France were amazed that they had been able to see such a variety of bird life so close to the Richmond CDB: quail, wekas, pigeons, tuis, bell birds, wax eyes, hawks, a pheasant, fan tails, plus the more common ones. And a rabbit on the front lawn.

Alison Nicholl Reports: This month; 2 rats 1 mouse. Sad to see some dead shrubs after the BIG DRY! This week I did see some tiny green bits on the dead looking Silver Fern – so all is not lost. I have also seen and heard Tui, Bellbird, Fantail and blackbirds singing up there.

Bryan Riley Reports: No catches for March. Whiteywoods ‘touched’ by the drought.

Will Reports: Looks like the drought has broken at last and we can get back up the gully to continue our work. We certainly have lost a number of plants but it’s not as bad as we thought. Some of the larger beech trees have succumbed though which is disappointing.  A lot of releasing of plants have already done the last couple of weeks so a good start in readiness for replanting in a month or so.  

One interesting thing is the number of Asian wasp nests that we have found inside the green spray guards. Some were found very close to another, sometimes less than a metre apart. Apparently no border disputes between them! Are they this plentiful due to the drought?  

The photo shows a patch of Whiteywoods ‘touched’ by the drought but after the recent rain, some green shoots have appeared so maybe they will recover.