New Zealand, 26 January 18 February 2017

Transcription

1 New Zealand, 26 January 18 February 2017 Thursday 26 January Auckland and Akaroa Due to weather problems which messed up our journey from Easter, we arrived in Auckland airport much earlier than we d planned, and had time to spend at the airport before our onward flight to Christchurch. Driving in our hire car from Christchurch to Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula, I noticed familiar birds: starlings, house sparrows, goldfinches, blackbirds, feral pigeons and Australian magpies, as well as a couple of swamp harriers. Arriving at Potter s Croft, our accommodation in Akaroa, I was pleased to hear more exotic-sounding bird sounds: bellbirds and tuis, both of which were coming to a feeder below our window. Also in the garden were mallard, purple swamphens, California quails and a New Zealand fantail, while overhead I heard redpolls and silvereyes and in the nearby forest New Zealand pigeons could be seen flying around and sometimes perched. Bellbird, Potter s Croft, Akaroa Tui, Potter s Croft, Akaroa Friday 27 January Akaroa Early in the morning I walked down to the seafront and soon started notching up more NZ endemics: red-billed gull (now treated as a separate species from the silver gull of Australia) black-billed gull, white-fronted tern, South island pied oystercatcher, variable oystercatcher and grey warbler. There were more bellbirds and fantails here too, but the majority of small birds were European ones blackbirds, song thrushes, goldfinches, redpolls, greenfinches, chaffinches, dunnocks, starlings and house sparrows are very common. Later we drove to Duvauchelles and Robinson s Bay, adding sacred kingfisher, masked lapwing, Caspian tern, pied stilt, pied cormorant and little pied cormorant to the NZ list. Black-billed gulls, Akaroa White-fronted terns, Akaroa

2 Saturday 28 January Akaroa and Banks Peninsula We went on the scenic drive over the Banks Peninsula summit road, seeing a few swamp harriers over the road. They seem to operate in the same wide range of habitats as buzzards in Europe, perhaps because there are no similar predators. At Oepatotu Scenic Park we saw our first tree ferns, but the only birds around were redpolls overhead. At Okains Bay there were some white-fronted terns and both species of oystercatcher. Back at Duvauchelles some paradise shelduck rested on the shore with a bunch of mallard, Canada geese and pied oystercatchers. There had been a cold easterly wind blowing all day, but Akaroa was sheltered and it was good to get back to the NZ pigeons, bellbirds and tuis in the garden at Potters Croft. Akaroa was a good place to begin NZ birding; all the birds we saw there were common elsewhere, but we didn t see such a wide range of those birds anywhere else. Also, Akaroa is an attractive small town with plenty of character. Sunday 29 January Arthur s Pass and Taiaroa Head Heading out of the Banks Peninsula, we stopped to look briefly at Lakes Forsyth and Ellesmere, where there were masses of black swans and paradise shelducks, before heading inland towards Arthur s Pass. As we drove up the scenery became more montane, with some paradise shelduck and spur-winged plovers in the fields, but it wasn t until we entered the beech forests of Arthur s Pass National Park that there was potential for native birds. We had a quick walk at Klondyke Corner, seeing fantail, grey warbler and silvereye. The bird I most wanted to see in NZ was a kea, having heard about them from non-birding friends, and I d read that Arthur s Pass was a good bet to see them. We found Arthur s Pass Store completely swamped by bikers; hundreds had already gone past us and there were about 50 motorbikes around the store, so I didn t particularly fancy our chances of seeing any keas there. Nevertheless I went round the back of the store where there was a sunny, sheltered forest edge which looked attractive for birds. After a few minutes, Sarah came round to tell me she d seen a kea at the front of the store s cafe. Sure enough it was there, among the bikers, perched on a railing posing for a photo. But although it was oblivious to the crowds, it knew how to behave in front of a lens and dropped to the ground when I pointed mine at it. It started to poke around some of the bikes, to the raucous amusement of bikers urging it to pull apart their absent mates bikes. But, seeing my camera, it decided to limp across the road (it had a deformed leg) and disappear in a dark corner. It couldn t care less about the people - great attitude in a bird! Kea, Arthur s Pass Store Forest habitat: Bealey Valley Walking Track My sunny corner behind the store was pretty good: in a short time I saw close-range grey warblers, silvereyes, a tomtit and two riflemen. I d expected keas to be the star birds but I was even more impressed by the diminutive and dainty riflemen.

3 Later we tried the Bealey Valley walking track (bellbird and tomtit) and the Devil s Punchbowl viewpoint but it started to rain and turns even colder. Two rain-soaked keas standing in the road had stopped the traffic when we drove back past Arthur s Pass Store, earning angry abuse from motorists. It was a long drive from Arthur s Pass to Timaru, where we stayed the night, and apart from where we crossed the huge rivers that drain the Southern Alps, the landscape was disappointing. Canterbury, the fertile district along the eastern side of South, seems to have been stripped bare of native plant life by farmers in the 19 th century, and we often found the same in both islands away from the uplands and coast. Timaru was a convenient place to break our journey south, and on the seafront we saw white-fronted terns, red-billed gulls and a black-billed gull. Monday 30 January Oamaru, Taiaroa Head and the Otago Peninsula Further down the coast we stopped at Oamaru, which has interesting Victorian buildings and a big cormorant colony. On a disused jetty in the harbour were hundreds of spotted shags and Otago shags (split in 2016 from the Stewart shag), and nearby is a blue penguin colony you can visit in the evening. The disused jetty in Oamaru stacked with Otago and spotted shags for its entire length We stopped to have a look at the city centre of Dunedin, which has a Scottish feel, and which has also many wellpreserved Victorian buildings. After lunch in MacAndrew Bay we headed for Taiaroa Head, where a strong onshore wind was now blowing, and the first bird I saw was a northern royal albatross over the car park. There are two viewpoints outside the royal albatross centre, and rather than go inside I did a seawatch from the slightly more sheltered southern one. Birds were quite close and as well as having good views of the northern royals that breed there, there were seabirds streaming south mainly Buller s albatrosses, sooty shearwaters and white-fronted terns, with smaller numbers of southern royal, wandering (antipodean) and white-capped albatrosses, northern giant petrels and Cape petrels (pigeons). Mollymawks were constantly in sight: in a couple of hours I recorded over 60 Buller s and probably missed many more. I didn t have a telescope so I took photos to aid identification, which were a big help, as I d never seen any of these albatrosses before. Amazing seawatch, I was lucky to be there in those conditions. Buller s, northern royal, southern royal, wandering and white-capped albatrosses, from Taiaroa Head

4 We d booked a tour of Penguin Place nearby, where we hoped to see some yellow-eyed penguins. They do good work there, protecting the breeding penguins from predators and recovering sick or injured birds picked up around the coast. They told us the penguins would be out fishing and don t return until dusk; however their last tour finished some time before this. It was good to see recovering yellow-eyed penguins and a rescued fjordland crested penguin in the bird hospital; fortunately, we were also able to see a little blue penguin chick inside its nest box and a juvenile yellow-eyed penguin hunkering down next to one of the hides. Fjordland crested penguin, Penguin Place bird hospital; yellow-eyed penguin, Penguin Place; red-billed gull chicks, Taiaroa Head Tuesday 31 January Otago Peninsula and Christchurch We stayed the night At Rosemary s Retreat in Broad Bay on the north side of the Otago Peninsula. Our hosts gave us a wonderful breakfast, enough to make a meal in the evening and that day s lunch as well as breakfast (we liked that in NZ B&B often means they put food in the fridge for a full breakfast, which you cook yourself). We drove back up to Christchurch, stopping at Moeraki to see the famous boulders. The thermometer in the car rose to a ludicrous 32 degrees C as we drove along, demonstrating how changeable the weather is. It was still warm when we arrived in Christchurch, where we went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens, seeing some fantails and silvereyes, and the brightest redpolls I have ever seen, both with the entire crown bright red, and red underneath extending to the undertail coverts. Apparently the NZ birds are Acanthis cabaret, as in Europe, so have these birds mutated or is there some North American ancestry in their genes? Wednesday 1 February Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura We d been following the internet to check the road conditions around Kaikoura following the earthquake last November, and were pleased to see that the road to Kaikoura from the south was now open, although the road north towards Picton had sustained serious damage and would remain closed for many more months. We made a slight detour inland via Hanmer Springs, where we had lunch, and reached Kaikoura in time to have a quick look around before it got dark. Signs of earthquake damage were everywhere twisted rail tracks, roadworks, shops closed or scaffolded, rocks protruding that should have been metres under the sea but actually the town was fortunate to have only one fatality. On the journey we saw a New Zealand pigeon near Hanmer Springs.

5 Thursday 2 February Kaikoura I d booked to go on two s with Encounter Albatross. The one the previous afternoon had been cancelled due to bad weather but the early morning trip today was on. Before reaching the boat we picked up a confused Hutton s shearwater that someone had reported in a shop front. This was found to be unhurt and was released at sea. Our skipper said that since the earthquake they seem more liable to be dazed by the shop and street lights on their way between the breeding colony and the sea. Within a few minutes of leaving the wharf we were seeing ocean-going seabirds: northern giant petrel, white-chinned petrels, Cape petrels and a wandering albatross (diomedea antipodensis gibsoni). When our skipper stopped the boat and hung out a basket of chum more albatrosses and petrels immediately came in to circle the boat and feed. She expertly pointed out the differences between wandering albatrosses and the two kinds of royal; between white-chinned and Westland petrels (although I was never able to spot the black bill-tip that definitively identifies the latter); Hutton s and fluttering shearwaters; and between Salvin s and white-capped albatrosses. In the excitement of having so many amazing birds at point-blank range I could easily have missed some that she picked out: Buller s shearwaters, a blackfronted tern and a white-faced storm petrel. An exhilarating experience and a thoroughly enjoyable one. Skipper preparing to release the Hutton s shearwater Northern giant petrels and wandering albatross White-capped albatross Salvin s albatross

6 We bought lunch at the Seafood BBQ kiosk then walked on to the nearby the seal colony. There was a good collection of waders around the rocks just before the Point Kean viewpoint: turnstones, both types of oystercatcher, spur-winged plovers and banded dotterels. Plus, there was a moulting erect-crested penguin on the rocks. I d been told about this bird at the place we were staying but wasn t expecting to see it. Encounter Albatross confirmed it on their website a week or so later. Erect-crested penguin, Kaikoura Banded dotterel, Kaikoura Friday 3 February Lewis Pass, Lake Rotoroa and Kaiteriteri Our next destination was Kaiteriteri, in the Abel Tasman Park. The road north from Kaikoura is closed so we had to head southwest and go over the high mountains again. We set off very early to miss the worst of the traffic, and got to the Lewis Pass without any delay. We did the Lewis Tops Alpine Nature Walk, which is a short circuit through beautiful mountain beech forest with glimpses of snow-covered mountain tops around. Silvereyes and redpolls were common here, and there was a solitary paradise shelduck on a small pond, but the stars of the show were a succession of male tomtits that kept popping up to look at us. Lewis Tops Alpine Nature Walk, Lewis Pass Tomtit, Lewis Pass

7 We stopped for a picnic lunch at Lake Rotoroa, but the place was swarming with biting insects apparently it is known for this. There were paradise shelduck and black swans there, and some nice tuis, but we didn t stop for any longer than was necessary. At the Kimi-Ora Eco Resort in Kaiteriteri the sound of the wetas (endemic crickets) was amazing. Around the resort were bellbirds, California quails and a New Zealand falcon flew over, pursued by tuis. Saturday 4 February Kaiteriteri and Abel Tasman Park There is a freshwater lagoon next to the estuary at Kaiteriteri, which had a good collection of waterbirds in the morning, including pied stilts, a royal spoonbill and some grey teal. A family party of white-fronted terns stood on a rock at Little Kaiteriteri beach. Variable oystercatcher, Kaiteriteri Juvenile white-fronted tern, Little Kaiteriteri beach Travel companies offered expensive boat trips to view the Split Apple Rock, but we discovered you could drive and walk through forest to the beach to view this unusual feature. There were splendid tree ferns on the way to the beach and we felt we were in a primeval landscape, but the birds here were the same as elsewhere. Kaiteriteri is a nice little seaside town and Marahou also had a large estuary with plenty of waders, including about 20 bar-tailed godwits. Sunday 5 February Cook Strait and Wellington Another early start to get a morning ferry to North, before the expected storm hit Cook Strait. The weather in Picton was pleasant as we handed over our hire car and boarded the ferry, and continued good for most of the day. The sea passage was quite good for seabirds: with my new-found skills I was able to identify white-capped albatrosses, fluttering and sooty shearwaters. There were also several small seabirds which photos confirmed were fairy prions, two pomarine skuas, and an unidentified pterodroma petrel. At Wellington we picked up our second hire car (although we made one booking, most hire companies make you hand over the car at one end of the ferry crossing and pick up a new one the other side) and found our apartment At Home Wellington City, which was excellent. Monday 6 February Zealandia, Wellington The predicted storm arrived in the night and the weather wasn t great as we arrived at Zealandia, the amazing huge enclosed reserve that has been created around a couple of disused reservoirs that used to serve the city until it was realised they were on a faultline, since when the area had been allowed to revert to semi-wilderness. Despite the wind and rain, as we got into the reserve we started to hear bird calls we hadn t heard before.

8 Following up the calls we soon picked up North robins and whiteheads, and walking round the suggested circuit easily found North saddlebacks, kakas, stitchbirds and red-crowned parakeets. In a fenced-off grassy area were two takahes, released here in 2011 as part of the slow process to help the bird s recovery from near-extinction (I think there are now 263 in the world). There are feeding stations at strategic intervals, and the handy map gives you a good idea what species you might see in the different zones. It was thrilling to be surrounded almost entirely by native birds, and we also glimpsed some tuataras (endemic lizard-like reptile) in holes in the bank beside the main path. Kaka and tuatara, Zealandia, Wellington I was really impressed with what has been done here. These are wild birds and animals, but the place is laid out so that you can just walk round without binoculars and expect to see then at close range. It s very popular with families, and also with hikers wanting to experience walking in a wilderness within a city. They do a huge amount of educational work and have great support from local communities, including the Maori iwi (tribe). I was even more impressed when I went on the night-time walk later that evening. Our guide explained, in front of the life-size moving model of a moa in their visitor centre, that New Zealand had broken from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana before mammals evolved the only land creatures were birds, insects and a few fish. The first mammals these encountered were the Polynesians that arrived there around years ago. The only predators they had to worry about were the harriers and falcons, or maybe a longfin eel jumping up from a forest stream. Consequently many of the birds have no fear of man, or of rats, cats, dogs, ferrets, stoats and possums. Zealandia s fence keeps all of these out, but mice still get in somehow you have to undergo a bag self-search to check you haven t got any in your baggage! With protection from predators and feeding, the bird populations inside the fence are doing very well. They ask people not to feed birds in their gardens bird food is likely to make the native birds ill, and the feeders render them liable to predation. The highlight of the nocturnal walk was a great view of a calling morepork. We also heard three or four little spotted kiwis but weren t able to see one, unfortunately. Tuesday 7 February Wellington Still raining, so we went round the excellent Te Papa museum in the morning and had the rest of day to explore the city, including a quick visit to the botanic gardens. We exchanged the vehicle Europcar had given us for a Holden Captiva, the same as we d had on South and much more suitable for our needs.

9 Wednesday 8 February Foxton Beach, Mangaweka and Taihape Foxton Beach sounded good, but we saw little of interest there. During a picnic lunch by the Rangitikei gorge in Mangaweka I had decent views of New Zealand falcons. We then headed to our B&B in Taihape. Thursday 9 February Whakapapa village, Lake Taupo and Lake Tarawera From the garden of the place we stayed we could see the snow-covered peak of Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park, where we were heading. However, by the time we arrived at Whakapapa village the clouds had shrouded the volcanoes. We went on a couple of walks, seeing some nice alpine plants, but no birds of interest. It was much warmer as we dropped to a lower altitude at Lake Taupo. At the Two Mile Bay reserve near the town was a flock of New Zealand scaup. Carrying on through Rotorua, we arrived at Pohutukawa Lodge, our accommodation on the shore of Lake Tarawera. Here at last was a landscape that felt truly wild and different: hillsides covered in massive tree ferns, a large lake teeming with (mainly) native waterbirds, the recently active Tarawera volcano rising from its far shore. New Zealand pigeons and tuis flew over the forest, fantails flitted about the garden, and there were New Zealand dabchicks and New Zealand scaup on the lake. Male New Zealand scaup, Lake Taupo New Zealand dabchick, Lake Tarawera Friday 10 February Lake Tarawera and Rotorua I enjoyed walking round the lake edge in the morning, and found a young shining cuckoo being attended by three grey warblers, and some eastern rosellas (introduced from Australia) in the grounds of our lodge. We d booked a tour of the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, which was most interesting. It s a living Maori village built around thermal pools and geysers, with a long history of welcoming the many visitors. Photos of past village guides, going back almost 100 years, were proudly displayed by the entrance. The tour included a music and dance show and the chance to walk around the site independently. I didn t see any birds there, but the insight into Maori life, past and present, was very interesting. One of the shops had a wonderful wood carving depicting a pair of huias (a large and beautiful wattlebird last sighted in 1907), which were sacred to Maori and whose feathers were a mark of status for the wearer. We had a look at Lake Rotorua after lunch, where there was another NZ dabchick and some NZ scaup. In the town we saw our first common mynas, which became quite common as we moved further north.

10 Saturday 11 February Tarawera and Wai-O-Tapu It was like rush hour, driving to the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland from Rotorua in the morning. There was a queue to get in, but most people were keen to see the Lady Knox geyser which erupts at each morning (they use soap to stimulate it). We weren t bothered about that, so we had the site more or less to ourselves for the first hour or so, until people streamed in from the geyser site. It is pretty amazing to walk round: every few paces you come to another spectacular and colourful geothermal feature. There is some decent forest there too, with a few of the common native birds, but the most interesting avian sight was a family of pied stilts nesting beside one of the boiling hot pools. Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland: Champagne Pool Pied stilts at nest site beside thermal pool Sunday 12 February - Miranda The drive to the Miranda Shorebird Centre was typically uninspiring, but as so often in NZ, once we got there it was brilliant. There is quite a long walk to the hide, and as the tide was ebbing I feared we might have missed the birds, but there was a terrific collection of waders there including wrybills, sharp-tailed sandpipers and Pacific golden plovers. A volunteer was at the hide with a telescope, which was great. We drove a little way northwards up the shore and came to a place called Ray s Bay, where we had our picnic. Here were more waders (red) knot, bar-tailed godwit and wrybills. Sharp-tailed sandpiper, Miranda Shorebird Centre Wrybill, Ray s Bay

11 Monday 13 February Auckland The weather had turned cold and wet again when we reached Auckland, so we didn t see the city at its best. Tuesday 14 February Silverdale Rather than spend another damp day in Auckland we drove to Silverdale. The house and grounds of The Ambers B&B looked quintessentially English but there was native bush nearby. In the grounds were purple swamphens, masked lapwings, fantails and grey warblers alongside the usual non-native species. Outside our bedroom at night we heard a loud bird call which, with the help of xeno-canto, I later identified as a weka singing. Wednesday 15 February Tiritiri Matangi and Bay of s While waiting for our boat to Tiritiri Matangi we watched white-fronted terns on a small offshore island and Australasian gannets in the bay. Arriving at the island in welcome sunshine, we set off as soon as the compulsory introductory talk was finished and walked up the Wattle Track, passing the pool just above the beach (Wharf Dam). The dam was more or less empty of water, but there were some red-crowned parakeets and purple swamphens there. Along the Wattle Track we saw several whiteheads, stitchbirds, North saddlebacks and North robins. Where the track meets the Wharf Road we were lucky enough to come across a family party of North kokakos, and later another (or perhaps the same) party moved through the visitor centre trees. I was really impressed with the island, which had been farmed and, like much of the country, 94% of its native bush stripped away. Between 1984 and 1994, volunteers planted between 250,000 and 300,000 trees. The is now 60% forested with the remaining 40% left as grassland for species preferring open habitat. In the warm sunshine the revegetated island felt like a near-wild heaven. We had a prolonged stay at the visitor centre, where free tea and coffee was available, enjoying the near-wild birds at the feeders, and watching the family party of four takahes that hang out on the grassy area around the lighthouse. Red-crowned parakeet, Tiritiri Matangi North kokako, Tiritiri Matangi On the advice of volunteers at the centre, I headed out to another pond due south from the centre and lighthouse, where there were two brown teal in the water. People sitting there when we arrived had just seen a spotless crake but this didn t reappear for me. While I sat waiting I saw New Zealand pigeons, red-crowned parakeets, eastern rosellas and a kingfisher there. On the way back to the wharf two brown quails (another Australian introduction) ran across the wharf road in front of us.

12 When we arrived at Tranquility Cottage, our accommodation in Waipapa (near Kerikeri in the Bay of s), we found that the attractive private gardens bordered a large lake, where there was a mass of paradise shelducks along with other waterbirds. Thursday 16 February Waipapa, Bay of s I counted 400 paradise shelduck on the private lake, where there were also a pair of NZ dabchicks. Unfortunately rain had set in heavily again, but at least it was reasonably warm here. We went to the Stone Store and mission house nearby - the oldest buildings in the country - and then on to the Puketi Kauri Forest, where the huge kauri trees were impressive despite the unabated rain. Friday 17 February Bay of s: Paihia, Waitangi and Aroha The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the British and Maori signed the 1840 document that established New Zealand as a British colony, are a beautiful park containing the house where the document was a signed and a large marae (Maori meeting house). Barbary doves flew around among the mixed native and introduced trees. On our way we passed numbers of pied stilts, masked lapwings and oystercatchers on a roadside lawn at high tide in Paihia. Near here we spotted wild turkeys a few times in roadside fields. Back at Kerikeri we returned to the Stone Store, this time in warm sunshine, and walked up the Kerikeri River valley to some waterfalls. We found this part of New Zealand had not suffered too badly from land clearance and improvement and there were still plentiful native trees and tree ferns here. The climate in these latitudes is subtropical and, although the Bay of s was the first area to be settled by the British, and retains many buildings from that era, we felt it was the most exotic part of the country we visited. In the evening I went to Aroha for a guided nocturnal walk. Moreporks were calling and I had high hopes of seeing a brown kiwi here. We heard several calling, but despite his best efforts our guide was unable to get us near one. He suspected they had been flooded out of their burrow by yesterday s rain and had moved elsewhere. Unbelievably, as I stepped out of the car back at Tranquility Cottage, a brown kiwi called loudly nearby, but I couldn t see it. Paradise shelducks, Waipapa (private lake) Milkweed butterfly, Waimate North Saturday 18 February Bay of s to Auckland We made a couple of detours on our way to Auckland, first to Waimate North where we visited the mission house that Charles Darwin visited in 1835, calling it an "English farm house and its well-dressed fields, placed there as if by an enchanter s wand". It still feels English even though milkweed butterflies flitted over the garden flowers, and wild turkeys were in an adjoining field.

13 Our second detour was to Kawakawa to see the famous toilets designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, which were actually worth the detour. Back in Auckland, we handed back our hire car and checked into the airport hotel for our flight to Melbourne the next morning. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in New Zealand, and it provided many of the topmost highlights of our big southern hemisphere trip: the amazing seawatch at Taiaroa Head, the from Kaikoura, the insights into Maori culture at Rotorua and Waitangi, the primeval forests and geothermal pools of Rotorua, and the amazing restoration of native wildlife at Zealandia and Tiritiri Matangi. People everywhere were friendly and helpful and when the birding was good, it was brilliant. The conservation work is outstanding but anyone with an interest in natural history may find they spend a lot of time in a barren landscape, seeing only introduced species. However, this makes it all the more special when you arrive somewhere that has native habitat and wildlife. I saw 98 species, of which 53 were new - a better result than I expected, with some amazing birds, often at point-blank range. I saw all the birds I d most hoped to see, apart from nocturnals such as kiwi and weka, which at least I heard! Birds seen in New Zealand, 26 January 18 February 2017 Akaroa and Banks Peninsula Otago and Otago Peninsula Northern South Wellington area Central North Northern North (Brown kiwi) (3+ heard Aroha ; 1 heard Waipapa) (Little spotted kiwi) (3+ heard - - Zealandia) Wild turkey near Paihia 6 Waimate North California quail 6 Akaroa - 4 Kaiteriteri 1 Zealandia 12+ Lake Tarawera 6 Waipapa Brown quail Tiritiri Matangi Black swan c300 Lake - 4 Lake Rotoroa Lake Rotorua 3 Waipapa Forsyth c1000 Lake Ellesmere 16+ Lake Tarawera Canada goose c30 Akaroa c80 Duvauchelles Waipapa Paradise shelduck 3 Duvauchelles c100 Lake Ellesmere 1 Broad Bay 1 Penguin Place c20 near Arthurs Pass 1 Lewis Pass 60+ Lake Rotoroa Waipapa Grey teal - - c30 Kaiteriteri - c20 Wai-O-Tapu Mallard 80+ present present c10 Zealandia abundant abundant Brown teal Tiritiri Matangi New Zealand scaup c60 Lake Taupo - c10 Lake Tarawera c20 Lake Rotorua New Zealand dabchick c10 Lake Tarawera 2 Waipapa Yellow-eyed penguin - 1 juvenile, Penguin Place Blue penguin - 1 juvenile, Penguin Place 1 Kaikoura Erect-crested penguin Kaikoura (Fjordland crested penguin) Southern royal albatross Northern royal albatross Wandering albatross (Gibson s) - (1 in recovery, Penguin Place) - 1+ Taiaroa Head 2 Kaikoura - 4+ Taiaroa Head 1 Kaikoura - 1 Taiaroa Head 3 Kaikoura

14 Akaroa and Banks Peninsula Otago and Otago Peninsula Buller s albatross Taiaroa Head White-capped albatross Northern South - 3+ Taiaroa Head 2+ Kaikoura 2 Cook Strait Wellington area Central North Salvin s albatross Kaikoura Northern giant petrel - 2 Taiaroa Head c10 Kaikoura Cape petrel (Snares) - 2 Taiaroa Head c60 Kaikoura Fairy prion Cook Strait White-chinned petrel - - c20 Kaikoura Buller s shearwater - - c6 Kaikoura Sooty shearwater - c100 Taiaroa Head 3 Cook Strait Fluttering shearwater Kaikoura 1 Cook Strait Hutton s shearwater Kaikoura c50 Kaikoura peninsula White-faced storm petrel Kaikoura Northern North (5 off Tiritiri Matangi either fluttering or Hutton s) Australasian gannet Gulf Harbour Black shag (great - 1 Oamaru - 1 Foxton Beach - - cormorant) Pied shag 2 Akaroa Split Apple 50+ Zealandia - 2 Tiritiri Matangi Beach 2 Picton 1 Foxton Beach Little black shag Lake Tarawera 1 Tarawera Trail - Little shag (little pied) 1 Akaroa 2 Duvauchelles Spotted shag Oamaru 1 Penguin Place Stewart shag - c1000 Oamaru 8+ Taiaroa Head White-faced heron 2 Akaroa 3 Duvauchelles 2 Broad Bay 1 Kaiteriteri 1 Lake Taupo 2 Lake Tarawera c30 Lake Rotorua - 2 Kaiteriteri 2 Marahou Lake Tarawera 1 Lake Rotorua Royal spoonbill Kaiteriteri Swamp harrier 5+ Several from road 1 Waitangi sev Aroha island 3 Miranda 1 Auckland airport 2 Aroha 1 Kaiteriteri - 3+ Tongariro 3+ Miranda 1 Tiritiri Matangi 1 Waipapa New Zealand falcon Kaiteriteri - 3 Mangaweka - (Weka) (1 heard, Silverdale) Takahe Zealandia - 4 Tiritiri Matangi Purple swamphen 3 Akaroa 1 Duvauchelles - 9 Kaiteriteri - 1 Lake Tarawera 3 Rotorua 2 Miranda 7 Silverdale 10+ Tiritiri Matangi 6+ Waipapa Coot c30 Lake Tarawera - Red knot Miranda 110 Ray s Bay Sharp-tailed sandpiper Miranda

15 Akaroa and Banks Peninsula Otago and Otago Peninsula Northern South Wellington area Central North Northern North Bar-tailed godwit - - c20 Mouraha - - c50 Miranda c50 Ray s Bay Wrybill c50 Miranda 3 Ray s Bay Turnstone Kaikoura South Pied Oystercatcher Variable oystercatcher Masked lapwing (spurwinged plover) Pied stilt 20+ Akaroa c80 Duvauchelles 1 Akaroa 6 Duvauchelles 1 Akaroa 2 Tokamatua 6 Duvauchelles many Lake Ellesmere 2 MacAndrew Bay c50 nr Geraldine 10+ Kaikoura c100 Mouraha 2+ Kaikoura 5 Kaiteriteri sev below Arthurs Pass 3 Kaikoura 4 Kaiteriteri - 5 Kaiteriteri 3+ Mouraha c30 Foxton Beach c1000 Miranda/ Ray s Bay c100 Paihia Tiritiri Matangi 2+ Paihia - Seen from roadside 4 Miranda 3 Silverdale c30 Paihia - 4 Wai-O-Tapu 2 Lake Rotorua c30 Paihia 2 Aroha Pacific golden plover Miranda Banded dotterel Kaikoura - - c50 Miranda Arctic skua Kaikoura - - Pomarine skua Cook Strait Black-backed (kelp) gull Red-billed gull c20 Akaroa abundant elsewhere C30 Akaroa abundant elsewhere abundant 200+ Taiaroa Head; abundant elsewhere abundant inc Kaikoura 2 Kaiteriteri 20+ Kaiteriteri; abundant elsewhere 10+ Wellington 2 Lake Tarawera abundant abundant abundant abundant Black-billed gull 6 Akaroa 1 Duvauchelles 2 Timaru 1 Taiaroa Head 1 Kaikoura 1 Mouraha Miranda Caspian tern 2+ Duvauchelles - 1 Kaikoura 1 Foxton Beach - 1 Miranda Black-fronted tern Kaikoura White-fronted tern New Zealand pigeon 7 Akaroa 1 Okains Bay 6 Akaroa sev Duvauchelles 30+ Timaru 200+ Taiaroa Head 2 MacAndrew Bay Feral pigeon (rock dove) - sev Taiaroa Head 50+ Kaikoura 3 Kaiteriteri 3 Cook Strait sev Kaikoura c30 Foxton Beach 10+ Gulf Harbour sev Aroha 1 near Mangaweka 8+ Tiritiri Matangi 2 Taihape 4+ Lake Tarawera Auckland airport c10 Gulf Harbour Barbary dove Waitangi 3 Waipapa Sev roadside Bay of s Kea Arthurs Pass North kaka Zealandia - - Eastern rosella Lake Tarawera 4+ Tarawera Trail 1 Silverdale 1 Tiritiri Matangi 4 Waipapa Red-crowned parakeet Zealandia - c10 Tiritiri Matangi Shining cuckoo juvenile, Lake - Tarawera Morepork - - (1 heard Kaiteriteri) 2 Zealandia (1 heard Lake Tarawera) (2+ heard Aroha island) (Sacred) kingfisher 2 Tokamatua Bay - 1 Kaiteriteri - - (1 heard Silverdale; 1 heard Tiritiri Matangi)

16 Welcome swallow Akaroa and Banks Peninsula 6 Akaroa 4 Okains Bay Otago and Otago Peninsula present Northern South sev Kaikoura, Lewis Pass, Kaiteriteri and Mouraha Wellington area Central North Northern North 4+ Foxton beach present sev Silverdale 55+ Waipapa Rifleman Arthurs Pass Silvereye abundant abundant abundant abundant very abundant abundant Grey warbler 1 Akaroa - 2 Arthurs Pass - 1 Taihape 3 Lake Tarawera 1 Silverdale 4 Tiritiri Matangi North kokako Tiritiri Matangi North Zealandia - 2+ Tiritiri Matangi saddleback Tui 1 Akaroa - 1 Lake Rotoroa 6 Zealandia 2 Taihape c20 Tiritiri Matangi 3 Kaiteriteri 2 Split Apple Beach 4 Lake Tarawera Stitchbird Zealandia - 6 Tiritiri Matangi Bellbird 15+ Akaroa Sev elsewhere 1 Broad Bay 1 Arthurs Pass 1 Kaikoura 1 Kaiteriteri 1 Split Apple Beach 1 Zealandia 1Taihape 2 Lake Tarawera c20 Tiritiri Matangi Whitehead Zealandia 10 Tiritiri Matangi New Zealand fantail 4 Akaroa 4 Christchurch 2 Kaikoura 1 Kaiteriteri 1 Split Apple Beach 2 Zealandia 10+ Lake Tarawera 3 Silverdale 2+ Tiritiri Matangi Starling abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant Common myna Rotorua, abundant northwards C10 Tiritiri Matangi abundant elsewhere Australian magpie abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant Tomtit Arthurs Pass Bealey Valley 4 Lewis Pass North robin Tiritiri Matangi Blackbird abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant Song thrush 4+ Akaroa - 1 Christchurch Silverdale sev Kaikoura sev Kaiteriteri Dunnock 5+ Akaroa 1 Timaru 1 Arthurs Pass - 2 Whakapapa - 1 Christchurch Village 2 Lake Tarawera Skylark 1 Akaroa - 1 Kaikoura - 1 Mangaweka 1 Miranda House sparrow abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant abundant Chaffinch 1 Akaroa - 2 Arthurs Pass - 2 Lake Tarawera - 1 Christchurch sev Lewis Pass Redpoll abundant abundant abundant Goldfinch very abundant very abundant very abundant very abundant very abundant very abundant Greenfinch 2 Akaroa 2 Timaru sev Kaikoura sev Kaiteriteri Yellowhammer 2 Akaroa 2 Timaru sev Kaikoura sev Kaiteriteri - 2 Taihape 2 Lake Tarawera - sev Mangaweka sev Tarawera Trail - - Geoff Upton, Southern England