Some questions about birding New Zealand (1 Viewer)

[lewis20126]

Thanks to Tony and a map drawn on a sick bag, Andy Marshall and I saw orange-fronted parakeet in the Hawdon valley on Friday pm less than an hours walk from the car. Saturdays's Dolphin Ecotours boat trip (NZ$120 pp) produced close views of King Shag - several adults and juvs on rocks before Motorua Island and no need to visit the colony - they seem very reluctant to do this anyway.

Back in the UK now and will start planning NZ the Return for North island specials.

Cheers, alan

 

[tony.saw]

Hi
Glad you saw it - was it wet getting there
Tony

 

[lewis20126]

Tony

Even did the OFP (poor photo on surfbirds) without getting wet feet and without taking the wellies off! Friday-Sunday am were glorious in South Island with barely a cloud in the sky. Thanks again for the gen and have a good time on the rest of your travels.

cheers, alan

 

[tabs41]

Remember to let us know how you get on when you return please.

 

[Arbu]

I just got home on Monday from the South Island of New Zealand, and I found a ton of black stilts and several Wrybill in this exact spot. The DOC Black Stilt project had just released 44 Black Stilt subadults, and there were 8 or 9 adults hanging around. The other birds I found there were Double-banded Plovers, a New Zealand Pipit, Black Terns, and Black-billed Gulls.

I ws under the impression that all the Wrybill migrated to the North Island in the winter. But it seems like you saw them in August. I'm going to the South Island in March, do you think I'll be able to find them at Glentanner (or anywhere else on South Island)?

 

[Chlidonias]

only some of the wrybill population migrates to the North Island (where Miranda is the best place to see them). In the South Island they are always easy to see at Lake Ellesmere near Christchurch, so long as you have transport to get there

 

[StarainBoy]

Thanks - currently in Invercargill, heading to the Snares on the Spirit of Endeby 2moro; no time for Tiritiri on this trip.

Shame, cos I've, many moons later, written the next Tiritiri Matangi bit.