brown teal

Since there are only a few of these once common ducks left in NZ and Tiritiri Matangi is one of the few places you can see them, I'll include a second shot. Not the most colorful of ducks, obviously, but very pretty nonetheless |=)|

I got shots of at least six lifers that day on Tiritiri Matanga. And yes, as someone mentioned, it's worth a two-day visit. You can book to stay the night there in the bunkhouse, but you have to bring your own bedding. I had no way to pack that with me. Couldn't fit a sleeping bag in with all...

Really posed nicely for me!!!

They are keeping an eye on me!!

Photograph in memory of "Blacky", who has been dead for a few years and was one of the founders of the Brown Teal in Hawke's Bay.

The photo shows a Brown Teal family and one compare the Teal to Mallards.

These endangered teal seem to be holding their own.

Great to see them back after being away for months.

These little Teal appear to be doing well out at Cape Kidnappers, they are a few generations on since this photograph was taken.

Lovely to see so many of them on the big dam.

Lovely seeing this family last Wednesday,

Out feeding these guys today, saw a few youngsters.

Back to an old one.

Great to see this pair, they are not banded, so it indicates they have been reared in the area, making it look as if their introduction is successful.

Saw three on the lagoon today, one of which is this one called "Blacky", because of his black band on his left leg.

He is alive and back on the Te Awanga lagoon and chasing the Mallards around the area.

I have not seen this Brown Teal for some time now, he was getting old and might have past on.

We feed these teal every two weeks and count them. Their numbers seem to be holding up well.

We erected a number of these platforms on a number of dams, out at Cape Kidnappers for the Brown Teal, so they could feel safe from predators.

"Blackie" new girl friend except it is a mallard duck.

Thought it was time to get up some of our native species. The NZ Brown Teal, or Pateke, is classified as a rare, endangered, endemic with an estimate of only about 1,000 adult birds remaining. Quite shy, and tends to be nocturnal in habit.

He has lost his radio tag at log last and I also feel he is starting to show his age. He was spotted last weekend with a mate.

He is back on the Te Awanga lagoon, lovely to see him.

The Brown Teal is "Blacky" an old friend of mine. I thought he was dead but fantastic, he turned up yesterday in the lagoon.