New Zealand, the Final Frontier, 2019-2020 (1 Viewer)

23 December. North Island-South Island.

Ferry day between North Island and South Island, but first a little time to savour the delights of Otaki Sewage Pools. Heaps of birds here, hundreds of Paradise Shelducks, 135 Australasian Shovelers, one New Zealand Little Grebe and oodles of other waterbirds, but also one special species - the main reason for my visit, and not too difficult to find, one smart Black-fronted Dotterel trotting along the water's edge. This was a welcome bird indeed, and it would be the only one I would see on my trip.

With that, it was down to Wellington to await the ferry. Departed under grey skies, already a Fluttering Shearwater or two milling in the bay, White-fronted Terns patrolling the coastline. Not much to report for the first half hour or so as we chugged out through Wellington Harbour, but then we hit the open waters of Cook Strait, now in full sunshine and with a nice southern swell running. And from then on, for the ninety minutes in Cook Strait, birds galore – my first albatrosses of the trip (several White-capped Albatrosses, one Gibson's Wandering Albatross, three Southern Royal Albatrosses), plus well over 100 Fairy Prions, often right up against the ferry, as well as numerous Buller's Shearwaters riding the considerable waves. As my first ever venture into New Zealand waters, identification was a bit challenging to say and quite a few more distant birds sailed by without names, but in amongst the above and numerous Fluttering Shearwaters, did pick out at least two Westland Petrels, one Sooty Shearwater and, rather easier, three Arctic Skuas.

All too soon, we entered the sheltered waters of Marlborough Sound, signalling an almost immediate halt to most of the seabirds, though Fluttering Shearwaters remained abundant right up to Picton, along with lesser numbers of Australasian Gannets and plenty of White-fronted Terns. Had hoped to fluke a New Zealand King Shag, but that really would have been lucky. Had to settle for several Pied Cormorants instead.

And so I was now on South Island, part two of my New Zealand adventure beginning. Scheduled for a boat trip from Kaikoura next morning, I immediately headed south, sufficient time for two stops on route - Blenheim Sewage Pools and Elterwater. Effectively twitching local rarities at both, my targets fell with ease - Glossy Ibis at Blenheim (a pair breeding in a bustling colony of Royal Spoonbills), then three cracking Hoary-headed Grebes at Elterwater (a rare vagrant from Australia, though breeders at this site).

I continued to within a few kilometres of Kaikoura, then headed inland to a quaint campsite surrounded by native bushland, sounds of Tui and Morepork ringing out as I pitched my tent.

Another solid day - I'd take all those albatrosses and prions in a heartbeat - especially off a regular ferry trip - great stuff!

Cheers
Mike

And now for one of the top days 0f the trip, the Kaikoura pelagic ...


24 December. Kaikoura.

Warm, still and sunny, a perfect day for playing around on the water. Started the day with an unsuccessful attempt to find Cirl Bunting on the south side of Kaikoura, but I can't say I was too fussed - at 9.00 am, I was boarding a small boat with two others for a trip out to the waters above the Kaikoura Canyon just a couple of kilometres offshore. Here, in waters that plunge from less than 100 metres deep to almost 1400 metres, resultant upwellings bring pelagic birds galore ...and, chugging out there in our little boat, we were immediately met by the first of the mega birds - three Northern Giant Petrels on the water, then a cracking Gibson's Wandering Albatross arching in to greet us. Not stupid these birds, they pretty much understood that we had offerings of fish liver, perfect breakfast for them. By the time we cut the engine, a medley of albatrosses and giant petrels had already gathered. Overboard went our 'bait ball', in came the albatrosses ... totally amazing, a squabbling rabble of three-metre wingspans at barely a metre distant. Mesmerising it was, a constant grunting and gurgling discord between the Northern Giant Petrels and the albatrosses, all to the backdrop of a dozen petite Cape Petrels paddling around.

Initially the albatrosses consisted of three or four Gibson's Wandering Albatross and perhaps six Salvin's Albatrosses, but soon other species appeared too - with massive pink bills, first a couple of Southern Royal Albatrosses, then their close relative, the darker backed Northern Royal Albatross. Fantastic, four species of albatross together ... and then there were five, a smaller White-capped Albatross flying in and settling to bob on the waves just yonder. And all in perfect weather! Spent a couple of hours out here, relocating a few times, each time dragging the albatross posse with us. Added attractions included a fly-by White-chinned Petrel, a smart Westland Petrel at the bait ball, one Sooty Shearwater, one slightly distant Hutton's Shearwater and one Arctic Skua.

After a luxurious fill of albatrosses and petrels, we then chugged back to Kaikoura, Dusky Dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals en route back, plus common coastal birds, Red-billed Gulls et al. Well, that wasn't bad at all!

Back on dry land, another quick look for Cirl Bunting again drew a blank, so I then headed south to St Ann's Lagoon, sometimes home to Cape Barren Goose. Well, it wasn't home to any on this day, I walked around the entire lake and not a sign of them did I see. It was however a pretty productive walk - not only did I stumble across a nest of an Australasian Harrier, complete with four big hissing chicks and assorted hedgehog skins, but I also found my only Yellow Admirals and Southern Bush Blue of the trip, plus a single Monarch and several Small Whites.

And then to end this Christmas Eve, I drove down to Canterbury, had a quick look at Lake Ellesmere (lots of Wrybills and Banded Dotterels), then continued onward to Twizel, high in the Southern Alps. Arriving a little before dark, I set up camp at a nice place adjacent to a small river. No Santa Claus to report, no calling Moreporks or anything else either.

Gibson's Wandering Albatross

Five more species on the pelagic

Hissing things in the grass, note the hedgehog carcase

If it works, a LINK to the sights and sounds on the pelagic, I just loved this.

I particularly enjoyed the sounds!

3Italianbirders said:

I particularly enjoyed the sounds!

Click to expand...

Even better sounds on THIS one

I'm trying to think what they remind me of! Hyenas? :eek!:

Good stuff, Jos, really envious of the Kaikoura experience - I've developed a taste for pelagics after Madeira a few years ago and my first three Albatross species from the Izu ferry early this year.

Excellent report, just what is needed in these lockdown days - dreaming of albatross-filled pelagics!

Thanks all, appreciated ...feels like an era long past

25 December. Twizel & Omaru.

Merry Christmas, I woke just after dawn and was rather pleased to see blue skies and promise of sun. In the absence of offerings by Santa Claus, I decided it only fitting to target one of the rarest birds in the world on this day - the enigmatic Black Stilt, global population 130 individuals. Unlike its cousin, the abundant and widespread Pied Stilt, Black Stilts are restricted to a few braided streams in the heights of the Southern Alps. And Twizel is just about the heartland of the restricted range, most of the remaining pairs on shallow streams nearby.

So it was, I drove down the length of Lake Pukaki and to the maze of streams that enter from the north. At my intended destination, just beyond Glentanner airstrip, heavy rain in the preceding weeks had left the streams totally flooded, the shallow shingles flavoured by the Black Stilts totally submerged. No big issue, I merely relocated a few kilometres upstream and began my exploration - Black-billed Gulls and Black-fronted Terns along the river, Australasian Harrier flying over.

Quickly found South Island Oystercatchers and Banded Dotterels, then about a half kilometre down I spied my target, one Black Stilt. One problem, it was rather distant and on the opposite side of a rather deep river! Failing to find any further individuals on my side of the river, I decided to wade across. Bad move! Fast flowing and cold, I got about midway and realized the current was seriously pushing my legs from under me, I began to predict an icy plunge and a goodbye to my optical equipment. Fortunately, having had the good idea of taking a sturdy stick with me, I gingerly edged the remainder of the way across and reached the opposite bank without incident. I was not looking forward to crossing back!

Of more immediate concern was that the Black Stilt was no longer on the stream where it had been, it had disappeared! Fortunately, a few hundred metres further, I found another individual quietly feeding on a backwater. Cracking views of this one, feeding on its chosen pool not caring in the least about my presence. After a half hour or so with the bird, it then suddenly decided enough was enough and flew off, landing on another pool some hundreds of metres away! I decided it was time to cross the river again – opting for a deeper crossing place this time, I reckoned the current would be less with greater depth. And fortunately it proved so, I crossed without problem.

With the sun still shining, it was now time to turn my attention to butterflies. Having seen a few coppers a little earlier, I set off to search them out and, in not much time at all, I was watching them - quite a few Coastal Coppers and, better still, a couple of colonies of the tiny Boulder Coppers, the exquisite males a glorious purple colour as they catch the light while sunning on rocks, the females a little drabber. In their midst, another new butterfly in the form of a Common Tussock, a butterfly that flies a lot, but lands very clumsily.

I had hopes of further butterflies, but sadly it clouded over in the early afternoon, so I decided to quit the mountains and head down to the coast at Omaru for the evening, one more Christmas Day treat possible there. On route out, passing the flooded streams at Glentanner, I thought it worth a quick scan - and indeed it was, five Black Stilts paddling around in a patch of waterlogged grass! One adult, four immatures.

At the coast, my first stop was in the harbour in Omaru - upon an old jetty, a mass of breeding cormorants, a line of Spotted Shags along one edge, then a packed mass of Otago Cormorants occupying the main part of the jetty, at least 300 in all. Not only a new species for me, but actually a new species completely - a result of a recent split of Stewart Island Shag into two separate species, namely Foveaux Shag and Otago Shag. It has to be said, however, they both look very much the same!

I then relocated to Bushy Beach, a half dozen kilometres away, there unfolded my Christmas night - a clifftop overlooking a beach, damp and chilly, a grey sea, a couple of Fur Seals in the surf. An hour and a half of peering at an empty beach, two fellow observers to keep me company, nothing much seen. But then it happened, just as the sun went down, out of the sea waddled four Yellow-eyed Penguins, right crackers. One by one, they waddled up to an area of pebble beach, then paused 15 minutes or so, each engaging in a bit of display and squawking near non-stop. Too distant for photographs, but as they vanished into the shrubbery at the base of the slope, I departed only to find two more hanging out in the bushes at the top of the slope - absolutely superb, classic penguins and just a couple of metres away!

And so ended Christmas Day, or almost so, I then not very cleverly went through a speed camera to conclude the day. Camped a few kilometres south.

Black Stilt

Boulder Copper, Coastal Copper, Common Tussock

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Jos Stratford said:

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Click to expand...

A wonderful report, further enhanced with really fine shots.
Love the penguin, clearly a bird with NY attitude.

Those Boulder Coppers are amazing!

Nice way to spend Christmas Day!