Spent about a week in New Zealand in May visiting family. Wasn't a birding trip per se, but I did manage to get out and see a few birds.
It was winter, but the Tui were extremely active and vocal. I don't know if they pair up in the early winter or what, but they were calling and fighting like cats and dogs!
One of the more common birds around my parent's house is the introduced California Quail. This is one of this year's products -
Other introduced birds around their yard include the Eurasian Blackbird (which I regard as a very handsome bird for a Turdus) -
and the introduced Australian Eastern Rosella (I can't ever get a photo of these high strung missiles) -
They also have native birds around their house including the abundant Silvereye -
and the Gray Gerygone (Gray Warbler) -
Lots of Welcome Swallows were still around -
Because they live on the coast, most of the birds I see near their home are shorebirds. Any walk down to the beach will produce
Oystercatchers of two species (standing in the boat harbor parking lot of course!) -
The South Island Pied Oystercatcher -
and the aptly named Variable Oystercatcher which can be Pied or solid black or anywhere in between
Several species of Cormorant/Shag can be found along the coast there although I only photographed two this trip - Little Pied Cormorant
The juveniles are tricky because they aren't Pied so they look like a different species
and the slightly larger Pied Cormorant -
Down at the water's edge you get 2 common species of gull (Kelp and Silver Gull) and 1 common species of tern (White-fronted), but I didn't photograph those. The only larid I photographed near their house was this less common Caspian Tern -
Any walk down to the mudflats at low tide will produce a variety of birds including the White-faced Heron -
and one of my favorites, the beautiful Pied Stilt -
I was surprised to see a couple of these Bar-tailed Godwits around. While most of the world's population does winter here in NZ, by this time (mid May) they should be up in Alaska breeding.
Masked Lapwings were also hanging around in the area -
Actually the most interesting bird I found near their house was one I had never seen in the area before. It hadn't rained in almost two weeks (a long time in NZ) and one night it rained heavily. The next morning I went down to the mangroves and saw dozens of these walking about on the grass and sidewalks. Apparently they had come up out of the mangroves to drink the fresh water from the puddles. In many trips down to these mangroves, I had never noticed a single one before.
Buff-banded Rail
I made a few trips to a regional park (Tawharanui - pronounced Tarfranu-ee) that has had the predators (Stoats, Weasels, Ferrets, Possums, Cats, Rats, etc) removed by extensive trapping and baiting and now is starting to see the arrival and reintroduction of many native species which had been largely extirpated from the mainland.
The forests their now ring again with that archetypical New Zealand forest song - the song of the Bellbird.
In the woods there I also saw a few of the newly established population of North Island Saddleback -
Whenever you see these NZ natives like this North Island Robin, you understand just how vulnerable they are. They evolved/adapted to an island with no mammalian or reptilian predators so they simply walk/hop around on the ground and low in bushes without making much effort to get away. In some areas where they are more habituated, you have to be careful not to step on them at times. They are sitting ducks for mammalian predators like cats.
Also common in Tawharanui now is the Brown Teal or Pateke. These shy little ducks of forest streams were introduced back there a few years ago and now have bred and become established. They have also become used to humans so they can be seen more easily -
One thing about birding in NZ is that raptor ID is easy. Over most of the country, if you see a raptor flying, hunting or eating roadkills, it can only be the Australasian Harrier -
I also saw a few of the "native" quail, the Brown Quail -
The pastures of Tawharanui (and pretty much all of New Zealand) are overrun with Pukeko (Purple Swamphen). Over most of their large range, Purple Swamphens are relatively shy gallinules, tending to hang around in marshes like normal gallinules. In New Zealand, the absence of predators have allowed them to become a grazing animal like sheep and they are abundant on parks, pastures, golf courses, road medians, etc..
Another common pasture bird of the North Island is the gorgeous Paradise Shelduck. These ducks form lifelong pair bonds and are almost always found in pairs with a stunning black-headed male and his pretty white-headed female
So that was my north island birding. I really didn't do much birding frankly, but still managed to see a few interesting species. The real birding part of the trip was when I went to the south island and went offshore in Kaikoura. Details and photos in the next post.
New Zealand birds post / photo dump - Part I - North Island
Moderator: Scott Waters
Re: New Zealand birds post / photo dump - Part I - North Isl
Wow, you pounded it!!!
Re: New Zealand birds post / photo dump - Part I - North Isl
Great...now I want to go birding in New Zealand.
Lovely photos. I used to have a pet Eastern Rosella (appropriately named "Rainbow"). I miss him! Such gaudy birds. And I really like that white-faced heron...what beautiful plumage. But all your finds are awesome...stuff I'll probably never see in person.
Thanks for spending the time to take us all along!
Lovely photos. I used to have a pet Eastern Rosella (appropriately named "Rainbow"). I miss him! Such gaudy birds. And I really like that white-faced heron...what beautiful plumage. But all your finds are awesome...stuff I'll probably never see in person.
Thanks for spending the time to take us all along!