Pheasants/Quail breeding season

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Originally Posted by Petros_mk

Speaking of the devils just drove home from work. Akoranga Drive SH1 off-ramp in Takapuna-Auckland I found this...
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Suprised to see birds in such a populated area in almost central Auckland, and when I do see them they are usually run over...

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see plenty of cock pheasants driving down shore road in central Auckland. I was up in kerikeri in the weekend plenty of baby quail running about

In response to your addendum Time Out, I wouldn't lose heart just yet. All the birds around my place and the spots I usually go to have gone to ground, it is normal for this time of year. Enjoyed your posts, cheers

Hope you are right Pointer – but sadly it is much different to this time last year

I was driving down our access road a week or so back and these guys were in the way – I stopped about 8m from them, I got out and leaned over the front door and took a few pics, I was a bit slow cause while I was snapping, a bl@@dy stoat ran from just in front of me, right through the middle of them – they didn’t even move – he must have been scared of me and the car – I just missed snapping him –
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/...uff/0161-1.jpg

I did a bit of work on shelter belts at the lower end of the property yesterday – lots of lovely dry dirt under the trees – quail numbers were great – lots of family groups of 10 to 20 – saw some young ones about the size of bumble bees – must have seen more than a hundred birds during the day – stoats haven’t got those birds – maybe they are not on the stoat menu
I have set up six traps in that area but may have to refine my bait a bit – two days old and it is moving round – I will clean them out tomorrow and revert to just eggs – Maurie from - Traps NZ Cage Leghold Victor Possum Cat Stoat Rat Mouse tells me they don’t like smelly bait
Also saw a group of about ten juvenile pheasants down there so there is some hope

If you catch a stoat, nail it above the trap you caught it in, will bring other stoats in. Those doc traps that hold an egg in it are excellent on them too. Keep up the good work Time Out

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Originally Posted by Toby

When I was at the mankau super clinic I heard 3 different cocks crowing in the land next to the car park. Maybe you could run your dogs in there for practise?

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Nah that was just the natives in manurewa you heard

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Originally Posted by time out

http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/...uff/0161-1.jpg

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Fabulous family portrait!!! Saw two well grown young birds this morning on the way to work...neat to see them...