Local members of BLOG, a pest control group in Nelson are hoping residents will help their cause to keep pest numbers down. They are from left; Bryce Buckland, Janet Whittington and Bruce Thomas. Photo: Andrew Board.

Native birds back in town

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Trappers hoping Nelson residents will help keep them here

Native birds are coming back to Nelson city and a group of trappers is hoping more Nelsonians will help keep them here.

Bird Life on the Grampians – or BLOG – has been trapping pests for three years now and says their efforts, along with other groups in the region, are working. They say native birds not seen in Nelson city for decades are back and they hope it’s just the start. The group is encouraging residents to help their cause and get more birds into Nelson.

BLOG founder Bryce Buckland says if residents – especially those in the Brook, Wood, city and Bishopdale areas – put a rat trap on their property it would help keep a lid on their numbers, allowing birds to survive attacks from rats, possums, stoats, hedgehogs and mice.

“We’ll never get rid of them but the more we can do to control their number the more likely native birds will thrive and populate our city again,” he says.

One of the BLOG members, Bruce Thomas, has spent decades trapping rats and has developed his own design which he sells nationwide. Bryce says if families put one in their shed or backyard it would help their fight against the pests.

Bruce says his traps are safe and designed to be easy to use and so it would be impossible for a family pet or child to get caught up in one.

“What we’ve achieved in the last few years, in combination with what’s happening with other groups at the Brook, Marsden Valley, Enner Glynn bush, Centre of New Zealand and further afield, is that we now have bellbirds and tuis back.

“We’ve got families of grey warbler and fantails back on the Grampians again, and weka. Those are indicator species, we know the trapping that we – and the other groups – are doing is having an effect,” he says.

Bryce says more native birds in Nelson is great news for the city and will be a highlight for tourists as well as locals as their numbers increase.

For more information about having a trap at your house contact Bruce on 548 8871 or [email protected].