Will Reports: David Burt and Kevin Piper have been working on repairing the steps at the Twin Gums and were joined by Greg Pickford and Ross Cullen. Still a bit more to do but good progress.

Ross Cullen also Reported: Hi Will, Hope you are well. Two work parties up the gully today. I smoothed the upper track felled the big hawthorn at saddle, cut it into chunks. Kevin, David and Greg worked on steps. Looking pretty good really.

Note that the tracks will be closed on the 7th November for spraying the area above Grassy Saddle. Check out the gully Facebook page for more details.

Bryan Riley Reports: Hi Will, Thanks for the email of the weed spraying plan. It will be interesting to see the final planting plan!

October trap numbers. Wilks line — 1 possum 2rats 1mouse. Waterfall line — 1 mouse. Cheers, Bryan.

Alastair Mackintosh Reports: Hi Will. Trapping slow again this past month. One Rat & one Hedgehog. Stopped feeding the Tui for the summer but many still about. Friend Kaka visited now and then earlier on but absent this last week or so. Can’t help but feel quite privileged with the bird life here.

In the garden a few days ago, I was watching the quail close by. There was a Cock Pheasant doing his thing within 50 metres, a Kingfisher calling and 2 Kereru in the tree above, all at the same time. Not counting the Tui which are everywhere. This trapping is paying off ! Regards, Alastair.

Bruce Harvey Reports: Hi Will, another quiet month for trapping. Just 2 mice caught, however there was another unconfirmed catch. A box had moved itself about 20 metres and when found the trap had a lot of blood on it. So probably a rat, and eaten by a cat, I’m sure a weka couldn’t move the trap box that far. Cheers Bruce

Mike Oliver Reports: Mike’s Gully Lines: 3 mouse, 1 rat.
(On Mike’s Fire Lookout Lines: 2 rats).

This months total Gully Catches: 7 mice, 4 rats, 1 hedgehog & 1 possum.

Early October: Hi Will, This morning on a flowering cherry at the back of our house we had 6 kereru feeding on the fresh tips. We have always had a pair at this time of year but have never seen more than 3 before. We think they nest in the valley to the east of our place. Each morning we have a very noisey shining cuckoo around here but very hard to see in the trees.

It shows that all the trapping is really helping the bird life.
Cheers, Jim Chapman.

Note: Jim & Llyn reside in the Lodestone area and clear weeds and plant
natives. They also supplied some timber for Will’s Gully too.