Yellowheads Hawdon Valley

[Tomtit24]

Hi all.

Does anyone know the current situation of the yellowhead population in the Hawdon Valley? I was lucky enough to witness one of the last few before the 99/2000 mouse plague after which they were declared locally extinct from the valley. Since the 2015 release (again in a mouse year which I thought odd) does anyone know how many if any birds are still calling the valley home. My 2 sons of 8 and 11 are dead keen to see some in the wild and this would be my first port of call if there are any of these stunning we chaps back in the Hawdon. Difficult to find anything conclusive on the doc sites etc.

Any help appreciated

[Jim_j]

Might be worth trying the DoC visitor centre at Arthurs Pass.
I suspect they would be in low numbers so probably very difficult to find.

cheers
Jim

[Nick Allen]

They apparently at least used to prefer patches of red beech in the valley - these have leaves a lighter green than silver/black beech and can be seen at a landscape level. There's one of these on the lowest terrace upstream of 'unknown stream' on the true right side of the valley. The 'unknown stream' is the next main tributary you have to cross upstream from Sudden Stream. The tracks in the bush are trap/monitoring lines and not walking tracks, so not maintained to as high a standard. Though maybe not a big problem at this time of the year there is a reasonable chance of coming across wasp nests if travelling off-track. There's a degree of river crossing required depending on where you are headed in the valley. Likely it will take about 90 minutes from the road end to unknown stream.

Might be easier to see the birds at the car park at the Glenorchy end of the Routeburn Track, or Haast Pass, or Ulva Island...

[Tomtit24]

Thanks Nick. I know the valley reasonably well and we are well experienced 'bushies' so no worries re making our way along. My 10 year old has done a few alpine hunting trips with me so no worries on that side of things. Also that area you described sounds like the exact spot I found the last pair. Yes Arthurs Pass is just a nice easy 1 day trip for us from Christchurch. Anybody know why Doc decided to release them in 2015 which was probably the biggest beach mast since 2000? Always seemed odd to me! Anyway anyone with any further info on this population I'd love to hear from. Also any know if their are any orange fronted Parakeets still in the valley?

Thanks for all the help

[Jim_j]

There is a bit of info on the "mohua website" - www.mohua.co.nz.
Graeme Elliot at DoC is probably the expert on these birds - he did the studies in the Hawdon in the '80s that first identified the reason for the decline in these birds (and other hole nesters) throughout the SI.
I've found the DoC guys pretty helpful - if you email him he'll probably tell you.

cheers
jim

[andrewcrossland]

I did two trips up thete last year looking for yellow heads and orange fronted parakeets - no luck both times on both counts. Seems onlyto be Robins and rifleman left.

[Jim_j]

Actually just remembered there was a post from David Thomas in Feb (search Arthurs Pass news) which mentions regular sightings of f Yellowhead in the Hawdon - but o/f parakeet apparently pretty much wiped out.
I did hear G/S kiwi when we camped there last year.
Good luck - let us know how you get on.

cheers
jim

[Nick Allen]

Heard the poison drop last year was a bit late and OFP numbers are right down as rat numbers increased. Guess it won't have done much for the Yellowheads either. The area in the unknown block and the v between the N & S branch above their confluence are the places I'd concentrate on if I was looking for the species. They are both places that the original population hung on in and must be the most suitable areas for the species. I think DOC are considering augmenting OFP numbers in the valley now they are in dire straits.

If you check eBird someone found 3 Yellowheads in March - they didn't say where they went, though. The valley isn't over-popular with birders in winter so a lack of sightings since doesn't mean much. Still might be quicker and easier to drive down to Glenorchy.