Photo: Shelley ToppThe bed of the Ashley-Rakahuri River, scarred by recent fires, provides an opportunity to establish bird-friendly wetlands and rid a large area of pests. Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group spokesman Nick Ledgard says the recent fires have stripped pests of their cover and exposed natural springs. ‘‘It has been a long-term goal to see if we could coax species like the black stilt and spoonbill back to the riverbed, estuary, and Tuhaitara wetlands,’’ he says. The rivercare group lost 37 of its 200 vermin traps to the fires. Major threats to the river birds on the Ashley are hedgehogs, followed by rats, cats, stoats and weasels.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 23, 2020 22:52 UTC