-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
New Zealand in February (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter davidg
- Start date
davidg
Well-known member
A quick run through of the past few days:
Lake Ellesmere - drew a blank again on Wrybill at Greenpark Huts. Just a few Pied Stilts and Banded Dotterel. Did add Pheasant to the trip list though!
Waikuku Beach - dipped on both Wrybill and the visiting Black Stilt. Picked up Black-fronted Tern at last, though.
Kaikoura Whale-watch trip - Wandering and Salvin's Albatross, Cape Pigeon, Hutton's Shearwater and Northern Giant Petrel. Also several large all black petrels with pale underside to primaries. Any suggestions? We also got fantastic views of 2 Sperm Whales before I was struck down with my first ever bout of sea-sickness, so bad that I had to cancel the follwing day's Albatross Encounter. Hugely disappointed but no longer throwing up!
Pelorus Bridge - at last, good views of a Weka.
Now in Nelson with a non-birding vinyard trip tomorrow. Then heading back south to Reefton, Arthur's Pass and Christchurch from where we fly out to Rarotonga. Thinking of having a final try for Wrybill at Motueka in a couple of days - anyone know what the chances are? Anything else to look out for?
David
Lake Ellesmere - drew a blank again on Wrybill at Greenpark Huts. Just a few Pied Stilts and Banded Dotterel. Did add Pheasant to the trip list though!
Waikuku Beach - dipped on both Wrybill and the visiting Black Stilt. Picked up Black-fronted Tern at last, though.
Kaikoura Whale-watch trip - Wandering and Salvin's Albatross, Cape Pigeon, Hutton's Shearwater and Northern Giant Petrel. Also several large all black petrels with pale underside to primaries. Any suggestions? We also got fantastic views of 2 Sperm Whales before I was struck down with my first ever bout of sea-sickness, so bad that I had to cancel the follwing day's Albatross Encounter. Hugely disappointed but no longer throwing up!
Pelorus Bridge - at last, good views of a Weka.
Now in Nelson with a non-birding vinyard trip tomorrow. Then heading back south to Reefton, Arthur's Pass and Christchurch from where we fly out to Rarotonga. Thinking of having a final try for Wrybill at Motueka in a couple of days - anyone know what the chances are? Anything else to look out for?
David
Chlidonias
Well-known member
you might get wrybill on the Motueka sandspit. If time you could also try Lake Grassmere, on the coast just south of Blenheim.
davidg
Well-known member
Tried Grassmere on the way up here - tide out and everything very distant. Motueka will be my last last chance!
David
davidg
Well-known member
Only been here three weeks and I've got a bogie bird already - no Wrybill at Motueka. Looks an excellent place though with loads of stilts, oystercatchers and godwits, all very distant though. Several Caspian Terns and what looked very like a Gill-billed. Distant and not seen in flight so I'm not counting it but it might be worth looking out for if anyone else is up that way.
Another dip on Blue Duck in the Otira Valley today and Fernbird avoiding me at Lake Brunner. Off to Rarotonga now but a final day of NZ birding next week with a trip to Tiri Tiri Matangi.
David
Another dip on Blue Duck in the Otira Valley today and Fernbird avoiding me at Lake Brunner. Off to Rarotonga now but a final day of NZ birding next week with a trip to Tiri Tiri Matangi.
David
davidg
Well-known member
Arthurs Pass was a great place with Kiwi heard calling during the night. Disappointed not to see any Kea though - from the info I was expecting to have to fight them off the hire car! Fairly uneventful trip to Christchurch but a stop off at Lake Pearson did add Crested Grebe to the trip list. Off to Rarotonga tomorrow so no internet access for a few days.
David
David
Chlidonias
Well-known member
weird you didn't see any kea! How long were you around the village? They hang out round the main cafe/petrol station most of the day.
davidg
Well-known member
I didn't give them much of a chance, to be honest. We arrived late after dipping the Blue Duck then were off early this morning. We did see a few flying around Doubtful Sound but some pictures would have been nice!
David
davidg
Well-known member
Now back in Auckland after a few great days in Rarotonga. Lovely place and some great.birds but I'll try to find the appropriate forum to post details.
Just returned from a trip to Tiritiri Matangi which was fantastic. Takahe, Stitchbird and Brown Quail added to the trip list with great views of Saddleback, Whitehead, Red-fronted Parakeet but no Kokako.
Home tomorrow so that was it! I'll pull together a full report when I get back and don't have to type the damn thing on a smartphone. Thanks everyone for help, advice etc.
David
Just returned from a trip to Tiritiri Matangi which was fantastic. Takahe, Stitchbird and Brown Quail added to the trip list with great views of Saddleback, Whitehead, Red-fronted Parakeet but no Kokako.
Home tomorrow so that was it! I'll pull together a full report when I get back and don't have to type the damn thing on a smartphone. Thanks everyone for help, advice etc.
David
Hello everyone.
Just for info, I spent 3 hours in Arthurs Pass on 18 March [pm] and the same amount of time on the morning of 19th. I didn't even hear one. All the locals I asked were very surprised that there were none around. Lousy weather may have played a part. I went to all of the "Don't feed the Kea" Otira Viaduct car parks too.
Hopefully, it's just a short term thing. Too late for me though......
davidg
Well-known member
Chlidonias
Well-known member
very good. A few points:
1) I missed you mentioning gull-billed tern in this thread. There was an influx of them into NZ last year so if you think it was a gull-billed tern you saw then it probably was. Might be worth filling out a UBR for the OSNZ so they have it as an additional record.
2) I was just at Arthurs Pass last week: no kea around the village! The first time I've not seen them there. I did see some in the forest and further up the road but none at the village itself. Very strange. (But the blue duck on the Otira were easy to find, sorry).
3) The Barbary dove at Mangere was more likely to be a spotted dove (S. chinensis) which are common round Auckland. Barbary doves much rarer and I don't think there should be any round Mangere (whereas I did see spotted doves there myself quite easily a couple of weeks ago...erm, along with lots of wrybills. Sorry again).
4) Little black shags are very rare in southern NZ, so you probably didn't overlook them before your first recorded sighting - it is probable you actually hadn't seen any before then.
5) My own pet hate, calling feral chickens "red junglefowl"
1) I missed you mentioning gull-billed tern in this thread. There was an influx of them into NZ last year so if you think it was a gull-billed tern you saw then it probably was. Might be worth filling out a UBR for the OSNZ so they have it as an additional record.
2) I was just at Arthurs Pass last week: no kea around the village! The first time I've not seen them there. I did see some in the forest and further up the road but none at the village itself. Very strange. (But the blue duck on the Otira were easy to find, sorry).
3) The Barbary dove at Mangere was more likely to be a spotted dove (S. chinensis) which are common round Auckland. Barbary doves much rarer and I don't think there should be any round Mangere (whereas I did see spotted doves there myself quite easily a couple of weeks ago...erm, along with lots of wrybills. Sorry again).
4) Little black shags are very rare in southern NZ, so you probably didn't overlook them before your first recorded sighting - it is probable you actually hadn't seen any before then.
5) My own pet hate, calling feral chickens "red junglefowl"
Chlidonias
Well-known member
oh, also, you didn't see the Cape Barren geese at St. Anne's lagoon? They are usually pretty easy to find.
davidg
Well-known member
very good. A few points:
1) I missed you mentioning gull-billed tern in this thread. There was an influx of them into NZ last year so if you think it was a gull-billed tern you saw then it probably was. Might be worth filling out a UBR for the OSNZ so they have it as an additional record.
2) I was just at Arthurs Pass last week: no kea around the village! The first time I've not seen them there. I did see some in the forest and further up the road but none at the village itself. Very strange. (But the blue duck on the Otira were easy to find, sorry).
3) The Barbary dove at Mangere was more likely to be a spotted dove (S. chinensis) which are common round Auckland. Barbary doves much rarer and I don't think there should be any round Mangere (whereas I did see spotted doves there myself quite easily a couple of weeks ago...erm, along with lots of wrybills. Sorry again).
4) Little black shags are very rare in southern NZ, so you probably didn't overlook them before your first recorded sighting - it is probable you actually hadn't seen any before then.
5) My own pet hate, calling feral chickens "red junglefowl"
Hi Chlidonias,
Thanks for the comments, I'll update the blog. Tell you what - you don't mention Wrybills and I won't talk about Red Junglefowl!
David
davidg
Well-known member
Chlidonias
Well-known member
coots are pretty exciting!!
(My lady friend's favourite bird actually)
(My lady friend's favourite bird actually)
Jon Turner
Well-known member
I'll re-read this a few times before we head south next february. All looks good to me! Like you I've never had mal-de-mer, so I hope to get out on the ocean a couple of times!
Chlidonias
Well-known member
my sea-sickness comes and goes. I never know till I get out on the ocean. I was out on the Kaikoura albatross boat the week before last. On the afternoon trip there were three metre swells and I wasn't sick. The next morning it was extremely calm and everybody on board including myself was throwing up!!
Jon Turner
Well-known member
At the age of three months I travelled by ship from Hong Kong to Southampton. That and lots of trips on the Scillonian stomach pump to the Isles of Scilly, and the Oldenburg to Lundy have been a good grounding for NOT getting seasick, praps the southern hemisphere will change all that (I'll be upside down for example!) I hope to be in touch when we have our schedule worked out for best details of how and when to see the best selection, maybe even get to meet? Hope so!:eek!:
davidg
Well-known member
Hi Jon,
Please start a thread for your NZ trip I'd love to know how you get on - just keep it to yourself if you see any Wrybills! If you want any info just let me know - I did stacks of research on accommodation, itinerary etc and would be happy to recommend the books I found most useful (as well as those I didn't!)
As for sea sickness I'm still furious with myself for not taking some pills before the Kaikoura trip - I had plenty with me but just assumed I'd be alright.
David
