Birding North Island,New Zealand (1 Viewer)

[lewis20126]

Does anyone have any advice / sites on seeing the following species on North island?

Northern Brown Kiwi
Little Spotted Kiwi - on Kapiti
New Zealand Little Grebe
Black Petrel
Pyrcofts Petrel
NZ Storm Petrel
Blue Duck
Brown Teal - non re-intro populations
Takahe - longest established - is this Kapiti or Maud?
NZ Dotterel
Whitehead
Kokako - non re-intro populations
North Island Saddleback - longest established population? Is the native popualtion on Hen and Chickens viewable from a zodiac?
Stichbird - access to Little Barrier for native population

Thanks in advance
alan

 

[Clive Watson]

I'll try and help...

Northern Brown Kiwi - Guided tours in Trounson park, Northland. Best way is to go back out again on your own after the tour is over. Weather can be important - chucking it down when I was there and dipped (good views of Morepork though)

Little Spotted Kiwi - on Kapiti - didn't go there so can't help. Apparently the boat trip to Kapiti is very weather dependant and it's quite possible to fail to get over (or be late getting back)

New Zealand Little Grebe - saw in various locations, e.g. Waiwera sewage ponds, Rotorua area.

Black Petrel - Hauraki Gulf pelagic, I think reasonably reliable but our trip was cancelled so I can't be certain. Wrybill tours and Pterodroma pelagics run trips.

Pyrcofts Petrel - There is a specialist pelagic for this on the Wrybill tours website, can't remember any specific details at the moment. Otherwise I think pretty unlikely.

NZ Storm Petrel - Same as for Black Petrel. I think this species is pretty reliable these days!

Blue Duck - well known site near Ruatiti. We wasted a lot of time looking around Turangi seeing bugger all, so I wouldn't recommend that. Go to the place that everyone goes to.

Brown Teal - non re-intro populations - only saw one, on Tiri Tiri Matangi (presumably introduced). Helena Bay is the well known mainland site but it's quite a long way north, we didn't get that far.

Takahe - longest established - is this Kapiti or Maud? - no idea, only saw it on Tiri Tiri.

NZ Dotterel - easy on the beaches at Waiwera and Wenderholm. Also saw a couple at Waipu and one at Miranda.

Whitehead - quite a lot on Tiri Tiri, otherwise the only one we saw was at the campsite at Pureora forest park (can't remember the name, but it was not far from the Totara walk, you pass it when approaching the forest park HQ.

Kokako - non re-intro populations - no idea, dipped it. Pureora is supposed to have some but very difficult I think.

North Island Saddleback - longest established population? Is the native popualtion on Hen and Chickens viewable from a zodiac? - can't help, only saw it on Tiri Tiri.

Stichbird - access to Little Barrier for native population - ditto

We bought a customised itinerary from the Wrybill tour guys. Probably not essential if you know NZ at all, but it was very useful for New Zealand first-timers like me.

 

[lewis20126]

Clive,

Many thanks - I'm not heading off there for a few years (only just got back from a South Island trip) but trying to get an itinerary together while the birds are still fresh in my mind (and before I lose my NZ road atlas!). As you might have gathered I'm not a big fan of going to Tiritiri and would prefer to see native birds wherever possible.

Cheers, alan

 

[tony.saw]

Hi
Will pm you with some information from our trip
Tony

 

[Strandman]

Does anyone have any advice / sites on seeing the following species on North island?

North Island Saddleback - longest established population?

Thanks in advance
alan

Saddleback were released onto Kapiti in 1981, so they've been there a while. But still trannies..

 

[lewis20126]

Saddleback were released onto Kapiti in 1981, so they've been there a while. But still trannies..

Ed - cheers; most interested on an inshore zodiac cruise of Hen Island - are these wild birds still extant?

Tony - cheers, have got some good Pycrofts pelagic gen from Doctor John and "Magenta Pete" but welcome any more on the others.

Thanks, alan

 

[Strandman]

Ed - cheers; most interested on an inshore zodiac cruise of Hen Island - are these wild birds still extant?

Thanks, alan

It seems so- a quick google finds this reference to Saddlebacks on Hen during a lunch stop on a 2006 pelagic:

http://www.birdquest.co.uk/pdfs/report/NEW ZEALAND REP 06.pdf

 

[lewis20126]

Ed, thanks - hadn't spotted that!

So it is possible to see wild (North Island) Saddlebacks!

cheers, alan

 

[James Lowther]

Alan,
IMO you should go to tiritiri whatever - it is a great place.
I understand why you'd prefer to see extant wild populations of the various species but sadly island introductions are necessarily part of the lanscape of NZ birding

l-s kiwi
when i went to kapiti two years ago if you stayed overnight at the north end of the island (quite expensive) you got a free kiwi walk included - mine was pretty successful with about 5 or 6 encounters with several different birds but people do miss out.
the central part of the island is good for (introduced) NZ birds

NZ grebe
southern end of lake Taupo particularly Frethey drive NE of turangi (fernbird there too also)

blue duck
the manganuiateao/ruatiti domain site Clive mentioned seems pretty reliable

NZ dotterel
I saw them quite easily at Miranda but this was during the austral winter

Whitehead
i saw non-introduced birds Pureora tower hide area and Huka Falls near Taupo

hope this helps!

cheers,
James

 

[tabs41]

Sorry but saying you are not keen on visiting Tiri is like cutting your nose off. In my oppinion its a must. Going for only non introduced you could be very disapointed.

 

[lewis20126]

Sorry but saying you are not keen on visiting Tiri is like cutting your nose off. In my oppinion its a must. Going for only non introduced you could be very disapointed.

Tabs41 - I probably will go to Tiri to see Takahe and possibly Stitchbird, if I can't get access to LBI for the native birds. You may not know it but almost all of the introduced species on Tiri can be seen as natives elsewhere.

cheers, a

 

[tabs41]

Yes Alan I did know, I have been over there 5 times now as my only daughter and grandchildren live there.
I am just interested in your take on "native".
The species to be seen on Tiri and Kapiti could just as easily be "native" birds that have settled there just as the ones to be seen elsewhere could be escapees from reserves. Just depends where you want to draw the line. You should not beleive that the birds on the reserves are easy by any means, you still have to go and find them.
I am pleased that you are considering a visit to Tiri, it is well worth it if only to show support for the work being done to protect the native birds.

Derek

 

[tabs41]

Found this link which may be of use to anyone visiting New Zealand

http://www.birdingnz.net.