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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New Zealand in February (1 Viewer)

ianreid said:
I didn't have a guide on the island itself and only had less than a full morning before I had to leave to get back to Invercargill (and perhaps consequently missed Yellowhead), though I had been in email contact with Ulva Goodwillie (she's named after the island!) and she suggested Peter Cox for my water taxi. Peter picked me up as early as allowed -- i.e. dawn because pre-dawn arrival and post-dusk stay on the island not permitted -- and returned to fetch me at the agreed time. People do see Kiwi there in the day pretty regularly, but not me :-(.

Another suggestion: if you are going through Invercargill then paying a visit to Ian and Jenny Gamble's place gives a really good chance of SI Fernbird. After I left Ulva by water taxi back to Halfmoon Bay, I flew to Invercargill where Ian met me at the airport and took me to their place. We walked through their private nature reserve and saw two or three Fernbirds, had a very pleasant afternoon tea at their B&B, and 2 hours later Ian dropped me back at the airport so I could fly to Christchurch and drive to Kaikoura in time for a pelagic the next morning (told you it was whistle-stop tour!). Again if I'd had time this would have been a great place to stay, and they are great people running a really worthy conservation project privately.

Ian
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Hi Ian,

Time being tight (although not quite as tight as yours was!) I decided to book on guided tours as much as possible - something I would usually avoid. Hopefully I'll still have plenty of time to find some of my own birds whilst getting completely lost!

I googled Ian and Jenny Gamble and their B&B and reserve look fantastic - certainly somewhere I would have considered staying if I'd seen it earlier.

David
 
Hi
I would certainly recommend Furhana. We went with her to Mason Bay where we overnighted. She is good company and knowledgable and we had excellent daytime views of Kiwi.
We also stayed with Ian and Jenny Gamble before travelling to Stewart Island and had a great time. Its a good B&B and the fernbird is easy to see.
Have fun
Tony
 

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tony.saw said:
Hi
I would certainly recommend Furhana. We went with her to Mason Bay where we overnighted. She is good company and knowledgable and we had excellent daytime views of Kiwi.
We also stayed with Ian and Jenny Gamble before travelling to Stewart Island and had a great time. Its a good B&B and the fernbird is easy to see.
Have fun
Tony
Click to expand...

Hi Tony,

Fantastic photo. I'd love to be lucky enough to see one in broad daylight but suspect I will have to settle for one by torchlight at best.

David
 
A few species specific queries:

Blue Duck - anywhere else in South Island besides Otira and Hooker Valleys where it might be worth looking?
Grey Ternlet - we're having a day cruise around the Bay of Islands, any likelihood of this species?
Whitehead - can they be found anywhere in Northland other than Tiritiri Matangi?
Shining and Long-tailed Cuckoos - seem to be difficult birds to connect with. Any prime locations?
King Shag - I think I could squeeze in a quick trip from Picton but all the tours I can find are for at least half a day. Does anyone know of a shorter trip (an hour or so)?

That's it for the time being!

Thanks,

David
 
For Blue Duck the Stuart Chambers book recommends Wesney Creek in Eglinton Valley, Falls Creek after The Divide, Hollyford River and Monkey Creek: all these are in Fiordland, and Pegleg Creek near Arthur's Pass in Westland.
He also has Long-tailed Cuckoo at Eglinton (Cascade Creek) and Hollyford Valley, as well as Oban, Ulva Island and forests in Westland.
Shining Cuckoo just says everywhere!
 
mjh73 said:
For Blue Duck the Stuart Chambers book recommends Wesney Creek in Eglinton Valley, Falls Creek after The Divide, Hollyford River and Monkey Creek: all these are in Fiordland, and Pegleg Creek near Arthur's Pass in Westland.
He also has Long-tailed Cuckoo at Eglinton (Cascade Creek) and Hollyford Valley, as well as Oban, Ulva Island and forests in Westland.
Shining Cuckoo just says everywhere!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Better information than that available in Kathy Ombler's book which has no entries for Fiordland at all! Some sensitive areas there, I know, but you'd think there'd be a mention for Homer's Tunnel, Milford Sound etc as well as the sites you mention.

I hadn't seen Chamber's book so did a search on Amazon. Came up with two, a location guide and 'the birder's companion', both available for Kindle for a fiver the pair. Not my preferred format for this type of book but still a bargain.

David
 
flossiepip said:
Your wife would love Kerikeri again lots to do, very pretty, historic, Russell and Waitangi near by and great birds everywhere.
It will be very hot and you will do lots of driving.
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Hi FP, I have reading through all the NZ trip reports and thread requests for information but this is the first time I have seen Kerikerii mentioned.

My wife and I will be in NZ, from mid-Feb for 5-6 weeks, visiting my sister in Kerikeri, my niece and nephew in Tauranga and also spending a couple of weeks in South Island (Kiakoura, Christchurch, Greymouth, Queenstown, Milford Sound).

I am in the same boat as most others here - non-birding wife to keep happy :gh: - but would love to hear of any specific areas around Kerikeri where interesting birds can be found. Many thanks for any info you, or anyone else, may have and care to divulge !
 
Arrived in NZ on Sunday and only just managed to get wifi working on my phone! A request for help first - I went to Mangere treatment plant on Monday, had a great time checking stuff out along the causeway but it was high tide and there were very few waders. I couldn't find the way to the shell banks - the road to the right as you approach the causeway (at the traffic lights) was closed by a locked gate, was I in the wrong place?
Amazingly I managed to see a Kiwi during the Trounson walk despite 12 people tramping around like a herd of elephants. There are obviously deaf Kiwis! Picking up lots of great stuff along the way but the biggest surprise so far were several Little Blue Penguins in the Bay of Islands today.
Back to Auckland tomorrow and flying down to Queenstown on Friday, Doubtful Sound on Saturday.
NZ is a great place - even the customs officials are friendly!
 
davidg said:
Arrived in NZ on Sunday and only just managed to get wifi working on my phone! A request for help first - I went to Mangere treatment plant on Monday, had a great time checking stuff out along the causeway but it was high tide and there were very few waders. I couldn't find the way to the shell banks - the road to the right as you approach the causeway (at the traffic lights) was closed by a locked gate, was I in the wrong place?
Click to expand...
have a look at this map: https://maps.google.co.nz/maps?hl=e...89&ei=iDIbUdDGG4WZiQeSxoGoCg&ved=0CJsBEPwSMAM

Find Creamery Road just below the round lake and you'll see a parking area at the Greenwood Road end. Park there and walk past the round lake (on the left side of the lake). The first big shell bank is the wedge just past the lake (there is a fence between you and the bank, but this is where you'll see the NZ dotterels etc). The two pale blotches just off the shore further along are the other two shell banks.
 
Thanks again for the info, Chlidonias. Unfortunately I failed to take into account the Auckland rush hour and the time I'd set aside for visiting Mangere was spent on the motorway instead. A disappointing end to an otherwise fantastic day. We started at Teal Bay and 10+ Brown Teal were showing from the road, NZ Pipit flew over and a Banded Rail with chick was in a ditch by the side of the road. Near Helena Bay there were two Spotted Doves and a California Quail.
Heading towards Auckland we spent an excellent couple of hours at Tawharanui Regional Park, near Warkworth. Bellbirds absolutely everywhere, Whiteheads feeding chicks, 2 Saddlebacks very briefly and two Caspian Terns along the approach road.
We're now in Te Anau, had a good view of NZ Falcon over the Queenstown - TA road, lots of Black-billed Gulls, 50+ NZ Scaup and Little Shag on Te Anau lake. Doubtful Sound tomorrow!

David
 
Fantastic trip on Doubtful Sound today with 3 different Fiordland Crested Penguins showing well in the water, although a bit distant. Hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters and a couple of flyover Keas were new for the trip list but 3 Weka pointed out by the driver by Lake Manapouri were too distant.
Later we drove towards Milford Sound and did the gentle walk at Cascade Creek. A very confiding Rifleman was a treat but it was pretty quiet. Off to Stewart Island tomorrow but no Wifi so no reports for a few days.

David
 
I am. I am now in Te Anau and trying to decide which boat trip to take. I wish I knew which one David went on, but as he is now gone for a while without internet, I guess I won't know in time. I was going to go to Milford Sound. Will decide tomorrow and stay another night at Te Anau. Saw two new birds on the lake at Queenstown, the Black-billed Gull and the Great Crested Grebe (aka Australasian Crested Grebe). Had a nice look at the grebe with binos but not close enough for a photo.
 
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Maroon Jay said:
I am. I am now in Te Anau and trying to decide which boat trip to take. I wish I knew which one David went on, but as he is now gone for a while without internet, I guess I won't know in time. I was going to go to Milford Sound. Will decide tomorrow and stay another night at Te Anau. Saw two new birds on the lake at Queenstown, the Black-billed Gull and the Great Crested Grebe (aka Australasian Crested Grebe). Had a nice look at the grebe with binos but not close enough for a photo.
Click to expand...

Tom, It was Doubtful Sound with Real Journeys, the nature guide was a chap called Neil who called all the penguins early so they were fairly easy to get on to. Good luck if you go.

We're on Stewart Island at the moment and have just come back from a fantastic morning on Ulva Island with Ruggedy Range. Several Yellowheads were the highlight but Brown Creeper, SI Robin, Red-fronted Parakeet and Weka were all new for the trip. Furhana is an excellent guide and with a small group of just 6 people everyone got a good look at everything.

Last night we went on the Ocean Beach Kiwi trip and had excellent views of two Kiwi feeding on the beach and another in the forest. On the boat trip there we saw White-capped Mollymawks, Stewart Island Shag, 2 Yellow-eyed Penguins and several Little Blue Penguins.

And the weather is just fantastic!

David
 
Still having trouble with wifi so getting a bit far behind. Great trip around the Otago peninsula gave great views of Northern Royal Albatross, Hookers Sea Lion and Yellow-eyed Penguins. Today we drove up to Lake Tekapo. Driving up the west coast of the lake we located 3 distant Black Stilts a couple of kilometres beyond the observatory turn off. I'm assuming these would be pure birds with no white on them? I'll try for some closer views tomorrow. Two Banded Dotterel were also new for the trip list. Mount Cook tomorrow.
 
Black Stilt have turned out to be ridculously easy with another two adults and a juvenile at the Glentanner airfield site - sadly still no Wrybill though! We did the Hooker Valley walk in fantastic weather today. No Blue Duck but two Rock Wrens were unexpected. About half an hour into the walk and just after the first suspension bridge one sat up on a rock in front of me before being chased off by a second bird. Off to Christchurch tomorrow and my final chance of Wrybill.

David
 
davidg said:
...two Rock Wrens were unexpected. About half an hour into the walk and just after the first suspension bridge one sat up on a rock in front of me before being chased off by a second bird.
David
Click to expand...

Another fool hallucinating...no such bird...three wet...no...very wet...days at the Homer Tunnel proved that to me...

:t:

McM
 
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