We rise at 4.30am. Our bodies are tired. We only laid our heads down at 1am, so we snap ourselves awake with cherries and chocolate and a quick cup of tea. We are going to see if harp traps set in A'Deane's Bush have caught any of the long-tailed bats we know are in the area.
Abi Quinnell and I walk past the big totara. It seems even bigger in the first light of dawn. We look into the cotton bag at the bottom of the trap. To our delight there is one tiny ball of fur tucked into a corner. Abi checks its gender. Yes! It's a female.
This is good news as it is the females we want to attach transmitters to and follow to find their maternity roosts.
The bat is transferred to a small black catch bag and tucked down Abi's shirt for the short walk back out, a smile on her face. Even though she has been doing it for years, it is still a thrill to have one of these tiny creatures so close to her skin.
At the carpark we catch up with the rest of the team, Jono More and Craig Single, who have been checking two other traps sites, with nothing caught at them.