NativeAwa’s Floating Wetlands providing safe habitat for Duck Breeding
Duck hunting is a real passion for many farmers and feedback about the success of the duck breeding season is often the first topic discussed. Farmers living in our best duck production areas daily see broods in their drains and on their ponds and can get a good indication as to whether the numbers are up or down locally. As well as this, certain farm tradesman are in frequent contact with surrounding properties and local hunting members also eagerly swap the latest information.
When we asked our chairman, Murray Young, were there many ducklings in and around his property near Hellensville, his answers was “Heck yeah. You’ll see when you get to band. They’re everywhere.” It’s obviously been an exceptional year there.
Rex Murray near Morrinsville has made similar observations. Rex is part of the ‘Citizen Science’ duck habitat initiative being run by the National Fish and Game research committee, where multiple observations of duck breeding success right across New Zealand. As part of this, Rex monitors four local ponds, as well as many kilometers of drains. He tells us “Even tin-pot ponds have reared good numbers this year and there’s quite a lot of ducks in drains. It’s been quite a positive year.
Rex is now experimenting with NativeAwa’s Floating Wetlands, which can rise or fall with the floods so any duck that builds a nest on them remains safe. The simple nest box he made for his one has been used twice this season and the Carex plants quickly took off. Phone Robert Shearer at NativeAwa 0800 495 777 if you’d like one of these yourself.
Article from Fish and Game Special Issue
