Trip Report: New Zealand and Chatham Islands Nov 14-Dec 9, 2009
Ross Silcock, NZ Land & Pelagic Bird Tours
This is a report on the 2009 version of my biennial NZ tour. This year there were 7 participants, myself, and a driver (none other than that birder par excellence, Sav Saville of Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ), for a total of 9 in the group. For the Chatham Islands, myself and 6 others, including 4 of the main trip participants, made up the group.
We saw a total of 176 species (for taxonomy, see Trip List, below), 11 of which were seen only on the Chatham Islands. On the main NZ islands, North, South, and Stewart, we found 165 species, missing only a few difficult endemics, two of which we didn't try for (Orange-fronted Parakeet and Kakapo), and only one that could be called a "dip" (Little Spotted Kiwi), caused by strong winds and rain on Tiritiri Matangi Island. We had tremendous pelagic trips, netting 34 tubenoses in New Zealand and adding Chatham Albatross in the Chathams for 35!
Itinerary
Nov 14: Auckland Airport, Puketutu Island, Cascades Kauri Park, Muriwai Beach, Waiwera. Overnight Orewa.
Nov 15: Orewa, Wenderholm, Waipu Estuary, Ormiston Road Pond, Kauri Coast Holiday Park, Trounson Kauri Forest. Overnight Kauri Coast Holiday Park.
Nov 16: Mangawhai, Wenderholm, Matakana Road, Overnight Warkworth.
Nov 17: Pelagic trip to Hauraki Gulf, including Mokohinau Islands. Overnight Warkworth.
Nov 18: Tiritiri Matangi Island. Overnight on island.
Nov 19: Tiritiri Matangi Island, Miranda. Overnight Miranda Hot Springs Holiday Park.
Nov 20: Whangamarino Swamp, Whitianga, pelagic trip beyond Red Mercury. Overnight Whitianga.
Nov 21: Opoutere, Maketu, Rotorua. Overnight Rotorua.
Nov 22: Pureora Forest Park, Waihi area Lake Taupo, Rotopounamu Track, Manganuiateao River, Virginia Lake, Kemp’s Pole. Overnight Wanganui.
Nov 23: Manawatu Estuary, Otaki Sewage Ponds, Cook Strait ferry. Overnight Picton.
Nov 24: Queen Charlotte Sound including Motuara Island, Waihopai Valley Road, Lake Grassmere, Kaikoura. Overnight Kaikoura.
Nov 25: Oceanwings pelagic, Kaikoura Peninsula, Postman's Road. Overnight Kaikoura.
Nov 26: South Bay, St Anne's Lagoon, Cave Stream, Lake Pearson, Arthur’s Pass Village, Bullock's Creek Road. Overnight Punakaiki.
Nov 27: Pancake Rocks, Hokitika River, Okarito Lagoon, Okarito Forest. Overnight Franz Joseph Glacier.
Nov 28: Bruce Bay, Monro Beach, Haast Pass. Overnight Wanaka.
Nov 29: Crown Range, Homer Tunnel. Overnight Te Anau.
Nov 30: Monkey Creek, Homer Tunnel, Milford Sound, Lake Gunn Nature Trail, Murphy's Creek. Overnight Te Anau.
Dec 1: Rakatu Wetland, Otahu Schoolhouse, Te Tua, Te Waewae Bay, Wakapatu Beach, Bluff, Foveaux Strait ferry to Oban on Stewart Island, Ocean Beach. Overnight Oban.
Dec 2: Pelagic trip to Wreck (Big) Reef area, Ulva Island. Overnight Stewart Island.
Dec 3: Foveaux Strait ferry to Bluff, Ahuriri River, Ohau Delta, Ruataniwha Wetland, Lake Poaka, Temple Valley. Overnight Omarama.
Dec 4: Mt. John, Halswell Quarry Park. Overnight Christchurch (end of NZ tour). Chatham Islands group flew to Auckland for overnight.
Dec 5: Chatham Islands group flew to the islands. Kaingaroa. Overnight Waitangi.
Dec 6: Pelagic, including South East I., Pyramid area, Mangere, Caravan Bush on Pitt Island. Overnight Waitangi.
Dec 7: Waitangi West, Te Whaanga Lagoon, Hapupu, boat trip off Horns. Overnight Waitangi.
Dec 8: Awatotara, Te Whaanga Lagoon, Kopinga Marae, cliffs south of Waitangi. Overnight Waitangi.
Dec 9: Travel to Wellington (end of Chathams tour).
Daily Journal
Sat Nov 14: Auckland airport to Orewa
I arrived at Auckland on time 5.25 am- travelled with Suzanne Gucciardo of Omaha. Had the usual warning from Biosecurity about my boots! Met the rest of the group, co-leader Sav Saville, Phil and Linda Swanson of Omaha, Larry Nahm and Carolyn Gann of Bishop, CA, Linda Rudolph of Iowa City, and Warwick Pickwell of Brisbane, Australia. Leisurely day planned- started as usual at Puketutu Island with many common waterfowl and finches plus Spotted Dove; best bird a Black-fronted Dotterel. Went next to Cascades Kauri Park for Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (4); a few Grey Warblers too. Next stop was Muriwai for the Gannet colony. Best bird there was a surprising Southern Giant Petrel spotted by Warwick- it appeared to be a sick bird, but alive and countable! Crossed over to Waiwera and found NZ Grebes at Straka’s and at Hatfield’s Beach a staked out Reef Heron. So we had 2 birds on the first day we missed on last year’s record run! Had dinner at Muldoon’s Irish Pub with Tui beer and watched NZ beat Bahrain for the World Cup soccer qualifier. Overnight Edgewater Motel, Orewa- excellent, right on the beach!
Sun Nov 15: Orewa to Kauri Coast
We left our Orewa motel at the ungodly late hour (for a birder) of 9 am, had breakfast at beautiful Orewa House at the north end of town (the Barbary Dove capital of NZ), and finally headed for Wenderholm at about 10.30! Tried for Banded Rail at Wenderholm, but no luck. Zoomed past the traditional spot for Feral Chickens (2) pretending not to look, and on to Waipu. I discovered that my scope had dropped down at the back of the van and broken in two! Oh well, we still have 3 in the group and I’ll call my insurance agent when I get back! Fairy Terns weren’t showing well, but finally had 2 flying up the dunes to the north, seen by all, albeit distant. No Red Knots and only a few Ruddy Turnstones with the Bar-tailed Godwits, but several NZ Plovers, and a great aggregation of Gannets, Flesh-footed Shearwaters, at least one Sooty Shearwater, and Fluttering Shearwaters behind a fishing boat offshore. Lunch at Waipu; had a kumara and smoked fish pie! A bit weird, but not bad- a local favorite with Maori, apparently. To Ormiston Road pond for 2 Australasian Little Grebes and 2 NZ Grebes. Drove straight over to Kauri Coast Holiday Park, with a quick stop for 2 NZ Pipits and arrived around 4.30 pm. Looked for and found Shining Cuckoo (not see by all). The traditional NZ roast dinner was at 6.30 pm. Fabulous dinner- pavlova with ice cream for dessert!! We were regaled by Suzanne about Inuit Throat Singers- not sure if it’s true or not. Have to Google that one. Left for kiwi walk at 8.30 pm. Windy and rainy, bad conditions, but did hear one North Island Brown Kiwi and a Morepork for the trip list. Gave up trying to see a kiwi from the shelter in the rain at 11.30 pm. Trip total 70.
Mon Nov 16: Kauri Coast to Warkworth
Another leisurely start. Stopped at Mangawhai to look for Fairy Terns- got good views of 5 birds total this time for the group. Met Sioux Plowman, who studies these endangered birds. Got to Warkworth and went out at 6.30 pm to find Kookaburras. Had no luck so decided best strategy was to drive away then come back, hoping to fool the birds into thinking we’d left! However just as we were giving up hope I spotted 2 in a winery near our first location- exciting! Had dinner (fish of the day, gurnard) at Shark Bar along with a couple of bottles of Tatachilla shiraz shared around as well. Overnight Walton Park Motor Lodge; the excellent WIFI proved to be one of very few such opportunities at our motel stops in NZ.
Tue Nov 17: Hauraki Gulf pelagic.
Although Hauraki Gulf pelagics are usually outstanding, this one was amazing. The weather was perfect and Brett Rathe was able to take us out about 35 miles, 5 miles past the Mokohinau Is. Brett is the master of Hauraki Gulf pelagic trips! Swept the expected species, including hundreds of Cook’s Petrels and several Little Shearwaters, and as well had a Pycroft’s Petrel and a Subantarctic (dark-faced) Little Shearwater! The highlight for most, of course, was great views of 7 different NZ Storm-Petrels! Very cool little birds indeed. A single White-capped Albatross was good, too, our first albatross! Great dinner and beer (even dessert) at Shark Bar. Total species for trip now 89. Overnight at Walton Park.
Wed Nov 18: Tiritiri Matangi Island
We drove from Warkworth to Gulf Harbour to catch 9.30 am ferry to Tiri. The weather was showery and windy- not the best prospects for Little Spotted Kiwi! We saw most of the forest birds as usual- amazing numbers and song everywhere. A pleasant surprise was seeing a pair of Rifleman at their Kawerau Track nest site- these birds were only trans-located here a few months earlier! We were rained on a couple of times and got wet, but dried out when the sun came out, only to get wet again. Sav and I prepared dinner at the bunkhouse, despite a non-functional grill (steak, chicken, salad, bread, and wine). Not bad for Tiri! Walked down to the Tuatara place but no luck- prob too cold. Then back to Wattle Track and buildings trying for kiwi- Sav saw one and heard one, but as this was an “only observer” bird we didn’t count it for the group’s Trip List- a major dip. I went out by myself for a couple of hours after the group went in to try to hear one to count but no luck. Did see 3 penguins in the spotlight, one way up by the buildings. Amazing little birds- they climb up the cliffs from the sea and into the bush- it must take them hours every night for the return journey to feed their chicks. There was also a Brown Teal on the lawn. I got to bed pretty late, negotiating my way into the top bunk in the darkness without falling on anyone, but the sleeping bag was very comfortable.
Thu Nov 19: Tiri to Miranda
We had a leisurely day on the island until ferry time at 3.30 pm; we caught up with Kokako and found a Fernbird, so we cleaned up except for the kiwi. The drive to Miranda was uneventful and we arrived in good time for the late afternoon high tide. We found Wrybills and the other expected shorebirds but not the Hudsonian Godwit known to be present. We finished the day with a late dinner (terakihi- very nice fish) at Kaiaua and I had a soak in the hot pool. Nice! The tired group will sleep well tonight. Trip list at 104. Overnight Miranda Holiday Park.
Fri Nov 20: Miranda to Whitianga; Whitianga pelagic
We left the motel at Miranda rather early (for us!) at 7.30 am for the Falls Road overlook of Whangamarino Swamp. After about 30 minutes Suzanne finally spotted an Australasian Bittern, our target bird! We returned to Miranda and added Curlew Sandpiper and after a while Sav made a great spot finding the Hudsonian Godwit! We headed for Thames for breakfast around 10.15 am at Bayon Espresso, next to an amazing green grocery with piles of fruit and vegetables. Onwards we went, over the Coromandel Range to Whitianga, arriving at 12.30 pm. We checked into the Peninsula Motel and picked up food for the boat, with planned departure at 1.00 pm. Andy Kerr skippered “Mamma Mia”, a very nice boat owned by Giorgio, an Italian guy who’s been in NZ for 14 years. Went out to the Hook and chummed awhile; Cook’s Petrels were abundant, and we found 3 Salvin’s Albatrosses. Trip birds we added were Short-tailed Shearwater and Cape Petrel. The Cook’s Petrels seen further out earlier gave way to lots of Pycroft’s Petrels south-east of Red Mercury Island later, around 4.30-6 pm. Great opportunity to study these two species indicated that key features for Pycroft’s were (1) black eye-patch mostly obscured by hood effect, whereas on Cook’s it is prominent, (2) hood of Pycroft’s is sharply demarcated from the white just above above bill, whereas on Cook’s the colors merge, and (3) somewhat heavier jizz around shoulders of Pycroft’s. We motored in to the dock at Whitianga and had a fun evening meal at Dino’s, a nice Italian restaurant. At Edgewater Motel the touted WiFI was too weak, forcing me to use dial-up; I was charged $59 for 31 mins!! NZ still has pathetic internet access for travelers. Trip list 109.
Sat Nov 21: Whitianga to Rotorua
Our main target was Banded Rail at Opoutere, as we missed it at Wenderholm and Miranda. Unfortunately the tide was a bit too high at the footbridge, but Carolyn spotted one feeding below the bathrooms (not directly underneath them, though!) and a few saw it there as it flew. I walked the edges of the marsh west of the footbridge and saw one run into the rushes. Maketu was again reliable for Red-necked Stint- 3 were very far off, but scopable. The ride to Rotorua was uneventful, although we picked up Australasian Coots at Okere Falls. My brother Norm and his wife Liz came over and had dinner with us- delicious Indian food. Norm took my crashed computer back to Cambridge for (hopefully) repair. Overnight at very nice Cedar Lodge.
Sun Nov 22: Rotorua to Wanganui.
We made the traditional early start for Pureora to start this long day. We found Yellow-fronted Parakeet and Kaka at the campground. Long-tailed Cuckoo was co-operative between the turnoff to tower and parking lot; one calling very loudly above us was finally spotted by Suzanne (again!) It was very hard to see, but it finally flew over us giving us a good look at itself. We had lunch at Turangi after again dipping on the Waihi Fernbirds- strange. We did see Common Redpolls there though, for a Trip Tick. Walked over to the start of the Rotopounamu Track and, just as Sav predicted, a nice male NZ (North Island) Tomtit performed for us. Blue Ducks were easy at Ruatiti- we went to a new site for me down-river, rather than taking the right at the school. After going straight ahead over the bridge we had good river views. Zoomed down to Wanganui (no “H”) and rose to the challenge of knocking off Mute Swan before dinner. Dinner was enjoyable at the castle restaurant next to our motel. Mrs Sav was present, raising the general tone of things. After dinner we drove up to the Rufous Night-Heron site; the new roost is in trees at a slip just downhill from the house at the corner by Kemp’s Pole. At dusk 6 birds suddenly shot out and a couple perched in trees where we got great looks! My first NZ tick for the trip! A happy group headed back to town.
Mon Nov 23: Wanganui to Picton; Cook Strait ferry.
The drive down to Wellington and the Cook Strait ferry was leisurely. We stopped at Manawatu Estuary and picked up my second NZ tick, the 2 Glossy Ibis that had been there a while. Nothing much else there though, except 3 Royal Spoonbills. Otaki sewage ponds had a couple of Black-fronted Dotterels and a NZ Grebe. We picked up Spotted Shag for the trip list at Wellington wharf while waiting for ferry. The crossing was better than usual bird-wise, with Southern Royal Albatross, several Salvin’s and White-capped Albatrosses, Westland Petrels, and Flesh-footed Shearwaters. Inside the Marlborough Sounds Sav spotted a King Shag just after Tory Channel met Queen Charlotte Sound- unusually far up the Sound. We arrived at Motel Americano (not the greatest, but right down town). Had fun dinner at Irish Bar. Norm texted Sav that my computer problem turned out to be a bad hard drive sector and a bit of malware and that it had been repaired. Hopefully it’ll catch up with me by courier somewhere!
Tue Nov 24: Picton to Kaikoura. Marlborough Sounds cruise.
Took Dolphin Cruises boat with Dan- he is a Nebraskan, no less, who was doing research on dolphins and decided to stay in NZ and now has a very successful eco-business as well as continuing his research. We saw 3 species of dolphin- Bottlenose, Dusky, and glimpses of Hector’s- nice. King Shags were feeding starting just before Tory Channel- a new development. No more bumpy rides to White Rocks! There were no Kings on the Blumine Island roost, but on our way back we had 8 on a new inner roost not far from Picton. Motuara Island had South Island Saddleback showing well at the “pond” (Lake Motuara??) Workers were actually installing bleachers there! After boating back to Picton we headed for Waihopai Road near Renwick for the Black Kite. It was duly spotted by Sav perched in a dead tree, allowing good scope looks at my 3rd NZ tick! These were the three I’d hoped for (Rufous Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Black Kite- a rather odd mix of species for NZ). Grassmere had only 2 Curlew Sandpipers and a few Pacific Golden-Plovers. The drive to Kaikoura was beautiful as usual. Dinner was at Robbie’s Bistro (good fish) next to our motel, the very nice Alpine View, adjacent to the beach.
Wed Nov 25: Kaikoura pelagic.
The Oceanwings pelagic at 8.30 am was one of the best ever, for Oceanwings and for us! A surprise 4th NZ tick for me was a rather late Southern Fulmar I called coming up our wake. We also had a surprising white morph Southern Giant Petrel, a stunning bird. Others included a Short-tailed Shearwater, and the usual array of goodies: both Royal Albatrosses, a huge Snowy Albatross, Gibson’s-type Albatrosses, Shy and White-capped Albatrosses, but no Black-browed or Campbell’s Albatrosses. The lack of Hutton’s Shearwaters was strange, but we did see hundreds off the peninsula the previous evening. The group relaxed during the afternoon- we all did different things. Suzanne and Linda walked across the peninsula, Phil and Linda did a whale-watch (4 sperm whales), Warwick relaxed at the room, and Carolyn and Larry went downtown, as did I. Sav and I went to the BNZ Bank and I paid the final trip payment and then looked around an interesting used book store. After dinner we took a look for Little Owl along Postman’s Road, but no luck, despite the supposed stakeout. Overnight at the Alpine View Motel again after a very classy dinner at the White Morph- a propos after our great morning pelagic and white morph sighting!
Thu Nov 26: Kaikoura to Punakaiki
We tried early for the elusive Cirl Bunting at South Bay boardwalk but no luck, although Sav and I thought we heard one singing briefly. We headed off to Arthur’s Pass and Punakaiki after arriving at a general consensus that the extra distance versus Reefton was well worth it. We found Great Crested Grebes at Lake Pearson easily, the Kea in the tearooms at Arthur’s Pass, and Rifleman and Brown Creeper behind the Visitors Center there. We continued on to Punakaiki and checked into the very enjoyable Punakaiki Tavern. I had expected to pick up my couriered computer, but it hadn’t arrived. After several phone calls on phone cards (no long-distance phone available), as well as discussions with the locals, I had about as many versions of when the delivery would happen and who would bring it as folks I asked; the finalists were the guy from Westport or the one from Greymouth. Mass confusion. Norm checked on line and it was supposed to be in Westport. I gave up, had a couple of beers and decided to see what happened in the morning (the Kiwi way to resolve a problem). After a nice dinner at the Tavern, we drove up Bullock’s Creek Road and finally after 7 km or so to the parking lot at the edge of Paparoa National Park. We took the walking track a further 500 yards or so to a fork and took the right track into the bush. A well-maintained set of trails allowed us to wander around for a couple of hours hoping for a Great Spotted Kiwi to appear, but no luck. We did hear a male, though, and had great looks at Moreporks in the spotlight. Wekas were calling also. We finally wended our way back to the Tavern for a good sleep.
Fri Nov 27: Punakaiki to Franz Josef Glacier
The local postal contractor (“postie”) was supposed to arrive with my computer by 10.30 am, but didn’t; while we were waiting we toured the amazing Pancake Rocks- quite impressive. The NZ Post agent’s office was across the road, but the computer hadn’t arrived. They thought the package was coming from Greymouth, despite the online tracking saying it was in Westport! Anyway, I gave up, left them $20 and instructions to send the thing back to Norm if it ever arrived (the agent estimated $7.50 shipping cost and later Norm told me it had cost $62 to send to Punakaiki!) Clearly a lack of knowledge somewhere along the line. I’d been planning to check Lake Mahinapua for Great Egret, but we found a surprising 4 on the Hokitika River near the highway bridge- they must be breeding in the area. We continued on to Okarito, but there were no egrets at the lagoon; lucky we saw them at Hokitika! We ran into Ian Cooper, who briefed us for the evening Okarito Brown Kiwi trip, which allowed us to leave Franz a bit later than usual. Ian told us about a NZ Falcon hanging around town, but we didn’t see it, nor a Fernbird at the pakihi swamp, although Sav heard one. We went back to Franz and had a nice dinner. The weather wasn’t looking too good, but Ian decided to go ahead as we were so keen to do the kiwi thing. We headed back to the parking lot at the pakihi swamp and met Ian. He brought umbrellas which were great for us, but the combination of steady rain and the sound of rain on the umbrellas meant that it would be difficult or impossible to hear kiwis moving around. Nevertheless, Ian had telemetry tracking on the birds and told us that a pair was together in a burrow beside the track. We proceeded to set ourselves up there (with folding chairs, no less) to wait until after sunset for one of the birds to emerge. However the male surprised us all by zipping out of the burrow 30 minutes early! Most of us got a glimpse, but Ian said it would be fruitless to wait, as the female wouldn’t leave until the male returned, usually a couple of hours later. He located another bird’s signal so we trudged back down the track and waited an hour or so (still in the rain), but the bird never emerged, despite being only a few yards into the dense bush. It finally moved away, and we walked back to the parking lot, where Ian located yet another bird’s signal. This bird wandered around in the bush at the edges of the parking lot for another hour or so, also staying well hidden, and then it too wandered off unseen. However it was nice enough to let out a very loud call prior to leaving, so the glimpse and call were somewhat satisfactory, given the lousy weather. Ian had made a sterling effort in the conditions, so we couldn’t have asked for anything more. The group showed remarkable patience under the conditions! We returned to our motel and shed our wet clothing and slept well.
Sat Nov 28: Franz to Wanaka
Early morning was drizzly and the Franz Joseph Glacier wasn’t visible so we decided to eat breakfast at Fox Glacier and look at the glacier there. It was a very impressive sight, with lots of NZ (South Island) Tomtits around! The drive down the West Coast was beautiful (when it wasn’t raining), with a stop at Bruce Bay. We stopped at Lake Moeraki for the walk out to Monro Beach through the beautiful forest and in nice weather. However we only managed one Fiordland Crested Penguin; the tide was very high and the breeding season was nearly over. I had to tell a guy to stop at the sign rather than walk into the penguin landing area. No wonder the average person probably never sees a penguin there! Next stop was Haast Pass, but no luck on Yellowhead; they seem to be gone from there. We did have a couple of creepers and a Yellow-fronted Parakeet. On to Wanaka where we had a great Indian dinner at Ashraf’s and overnighted at the same nice motel as last year- even had a Dunnock on the lawn!
Sun Nov 29: Wanaka to Te Anau
We took the Cardrona/Crown Range route to Te Anau, stopping at a windy and cold overlook (until the sun rose over the hills) above where the road drops precipitously down to the Queenstown area. We hung around for about an hour hoping for a falcon flyby, but no luck, even though Sav has seen them there with some regularity. The road is now in good shape- all sealed. We skirted Queenstown via Frankton and stopped at Kingston for snacks. We took the opportunity to watch live the last bit of All Blacks vs France! The ABs had the game well under control by then, winning 37-12, but the ABs playing in white jerseys just isn’t the same! We arrived in Te Anau around noon, and, realizing the importance of seeing Rock Wren, grabbed lunch and took off for Homer Tunnel. We warned the group that Rock Wren could be very tough to find. As we apprehensively entered the first rocks on the nature trail, Sav and I both heard the call and then a small bird buzzed between some rocks and disappeared! Suddenly it re-appeared with its mate and gave us a fabulous show on top of rocks right next to us. This validates Sav’s theory that when the birds are present (most of the time) they are in the first rocks on the nature trail and so it’s a waste of time to plow around amongst the rocks a few hundred yards further east! Great photos were obtained of both birds by the group’s photographers! The pair appeared to be looking for a nest site. Strangely, we didn’t see them again in the next hour or so that we were there, although a singing Dunnock might have been an altitude record for the species. We drifted back down the road with an unsuccessful stop at Monkey Creek for Blue Duck and then spent 90 minutes or so watching for NZ Falcon over the forest at the grassy area next north of Knob’s Flat. Sav got onto one flying below the horizon against the trees but only Suzanne saw it (without bins). Overnight was at Te Anau after a great lazy susan Chinese dinner.
Mon Nov 30: Milford Sound
With Rock Wren in hand and a noon Milford Sound boat ride scheduled, we took a late start at 8.15 am, taking our lunch with us. We stopped at the pakihi swamp at Te Anau Downs and finally on the east side of the road at the north end we got good views of a Fernbird. We arrived at Milford Sound just before noon and took the $60 boat, but it did not stop at the Fiordland Crested Penguin site, despite my asking our skipper to stop there! The boat in front of us, the $150 trip, did though- these guys have this figured out. After disembarking, we noticed a white heron sporting a yellow bill but also breeding plumes and a short gape line- Intermediate Egret!! Trip tick #5 for me (amazing). We stopped at the beautiful Lake Gunn Nature Trail on the way back but no Yellowheads (Wynston Cooper had 2-3 there a week or two after us, and Sav had a couple the prior year, so there seems to a small population hanging on there). Next stop was a falcon watch at Murphy’s Creek. We laid around in the grass for an hour or so until Sav heard a call that I didn’t immediately register as a falcon- the bird was quickly located harassing a harrier and Phil even got distant pictures with both birds in the photo, and most of us got decent looks, commenting on how small the falcon was (obviously a male). We arrived back at Te Anau around 6 pm and had dinner at a steakhouse that was probably our least satisfying meal of the trip. At least they had beer. Overnight at the same motel.
Tue Dec 1: Te Anau to Stewart Island; kiwi trip
We started at 8.15 am with breakfast in Te Anau and headed south towards Tuatapere. Our first stop was a distant look at a Black-billed Gull colony, which had excellent numbers, at least 1500. We stopped at the new Rakatu Wetland Reserve, only to discover a young Chinese couple whose car had inexplicably taken a dive at 90 degrees of the access road into the ditch.
We couldn’t budge it so Sav took off to find help. About an hour later arrived a good-looking Southern Man/sheep farmer who eventually (another hour) extricated the car. I suggested quietly to the Chinese lady (she spoke good English) that she give him some money, which she did - $20- he seemed appreciative. The wetland was nice; we heard a Fernbird but couldn’t see it, but there was a good selection of ducks as well as coots, including a flock of 45 Grey Teal. No luck at the Otahu schoolhouse for Little Owl. However we stopped at the dairy farm spot further south at Te Tua and after a while Sav located a Little Owl sitting in the sun in a log pile. Great looks and pictures for all! Next stop was beautiful Te Wae Wae Bay, where Hector’s Dolphins were soon located in the breakers. Then, to our surprise, a very obliging fishing boat did a drive-by trailing several albatrosses and Cape Petrels only about 800 yards away! We picked out 4 White-capped, 2 Salvin’s, and 3 Buller’s, along with about 15 Cape Petrels! These Buller’s turned out to be the only Southerns we found, as we later dipped off Big Reef! Next stop was Wakapatu Bay, where Chris Gaskin had found at least one Arctic Tern. We noted a candidate right away on the rocks with roosting White-fronted Terns, but it flew before we could get a good look. After a while we noticed what was probably the same bird on a small rock by itself. After careful study and discussion, the features seen confirmed the ID as Arctic Tern- a rarity in NZ and NZ tick #6 for me! We saw the small size, very short legs, darker underparts and mantle than White-fronted Terns, shortish bill (less than head depth), and white crown extending back to the nape area (further than nearby non-breeding- 1st summer?- White-fronted Terns). Phil was able to get diagnostic if distant photos. We stopped at Riverton for delicious blue cod and chips around 2.30 pm and then on to Bluff and the Stewart Island ferry. Foveaux Strait was very smooth, allowing us to stand up and use bins as though we were on land! A Cook’s Petrel was the best bird, but the crossing was rather quiet birdwise overall. The ferry arrived at Oban around 6 pm and we set up in the South Seas Hotel units. Had great blue cod and Montieth’s Black for dinner, then departed at 8.45 pm with Phillip Smith for kiwi. The dock at Ocean Beach is not yet rebuilt, but the materials and access track were ready. We dinghied to the landing beach and with a still and clear evening walked over to Ocean Beach where we immediately had great looks at 2 kiwi! The group (and leaders) were greatly relieved, despite Sav’s and my comments that beach kiwis with Phillip Smith were much more reliable than bush kiwis! We also came across a couple of young male Hooker’s (NZ) Sea-Lions play-fighting. We didn’t go very close to them, though! We arrived back at motel around midnight a happy group after a great day with several great birds. We added 5 trip ticks, bringing the total to 152! We expect 3 ticks (Yellow-eyed Penguin, Brown Skua, Yellowhead) tomorrow and hopefully a couple of new tubenoses, plus later on Chukar, Black Stilt, Marsh Crake, and Cirl Bunting. A record 160 might be possible!
Wed Dec 2: Stewart Island; pelagic
After a nice continental breakfast at South Seas Hotel, we left at 8.30 am on “Aurora” with Colin Hopkins as skipper for our Big Reef pelagic. We were hoping for a couple of new tubenoses for the record attempt, but were flabbergasted by an amazing 19-tubenose pelagic which added no fewer than 5 new species: Black-browed Albatross, great looks at Campbell’s Albatross and 8 Mottled Petrels, and Grey-backed Storm-Petrel and Pomarine Jaeger unfortunately only seen by Sav and Ross. This brought our trip list of tubenoses to an amazing 32. We even had another Southern Fulmar! We motored back to beautiful Ulva Island, where we finally located a pair of Yellowheads which gave us all good views. We also had good looks at the other Ulva specialties. The trip total is now an unbelievable 160, with 4 “sitters” (as Sav calls them) to go. We were back at our hotel around 4 pm and I had a couple of beers with Sav and talked a bit about birds in England. Great dinner and the happy group finally turned in.
Thu Dec 3: Stewart Island to Omarama
After another nice South Seas Hotel continental breakfast we boarded the 8 am ferry back to Bluff. Again it was a very quiet crossing with only 3-4 pelagic species. We drove up to the Omarama area via Gore and Lindis Pass and headed up the Ahuriri River to Sav’s Black Stilt spot, but no luck! We were a bit taken aback, as this is usually a reliable place. We drove up to the Ohau Delta and found Marsh Crake without a tape- the usual single bird wandering about in the marsh! There were no Black Stilts at the delta itself, so we headed over to Lake Poaka, where we finally located a beautiful adult. Truly a very cool bird. Niall Washington-Jones had told Sav about a falcon nest site in Temple Valley, which is about 45 km around Lake Ohau from the highway. Sav drove like crazy to the spot (and back), but despite a 30-45 min look, no falcons. However did see 6 Himalayan Thar up on the high slopes opposite the campground- a lifer mammal for me and for Sav! Back to Omarama just in time (thanks to Sav’s skillful driving) for a very nice dinner of lamb madras at the pub. The trip total (and new record) now stands at 162, with 2 “sitters” to go! Overnight Omarama.
Fri Dec 4: Omarama to Christchurch
With trip record fever afoot, we started earlyish at 7.30 am for Mt John and Chukar. At the parking lot up top I heard a calling bird and located it on a rocky outcrop in the direction of the town of Tekapo. The group came over and Linda (Swanson) noticed 6 more Chukars wandering along! Great looks for all. We dropped down to Tekapo (sitting on 163!) for breakfast then on to Christchurch and Halswell Quarry Park, hopefully for number 164, Cirl Bunting! After some searching and avoiding the large group of school kids there, Larry spotted a male at the track at the south end of the east part of the park that 5 of us saw well from directly below with good views of the black throat. We couldn’t relocate the bird for the others, but I and Carolyn saw birds that I’m sure were females- mine was a very yellow adult feeding a young bird at the same place we’d seen the male. We dropped Swansons off at the airport (they were off to Australia) then had lunch and we four Chathams folks (me, Carolyn, Larry, and Suzanne) were dropped at the airport too. We said goodbye to Sav, Warwick, and Linda (Rudolph) after a fabulous trip. We were able to change our flight time to Auckland from 7.30 pm to 4.30 pm and so arrived in rainy Auckland around 5.45 pm with a couple extra hours to spare. Our motel was the BK Pioneers Best Western where my wife Lyn and I stayed (and met cousin Rebecca) last trip. Very nice; the 4 of us had an enjoyable buffet dinner at the next door Holiday Inn and a leisurely overnight; our flight to the Chathams didn’t leave until 1 pm the next day! I even did some laundry, and called Val Croon Jr at Waitangi; he said that the weather was “stunning” and our boat trip was scheduled for first day after we arrive (Sunday).
Sat Dec 5: Fly to Chatham Islands
It was a relaxing morning before our shuttle took us to the airport at 11.15 am. We finally located the Air Chathams check-in area, meeting Tania Ireton there. Then we found the correct gate area and met Colin Rogers, with Graham Barwell showing up a few minutes later. The flight was announced at around 1 pm and we went straight on and flew uneventfully to Chatham Island. Being the first Saturday of the month, the big Kaingaroa community seafood potluck dinner was a “can’t-miss”! Val took our bags to the hotel, while Bob drove us to Kaingaroa. We had a bit of spare time, so Bob showed us the rare plants at Kaingaroa Point. Very interesting. We had a Pitt Shag there and great looks at a Parasitic Jaeger chasing White-fronted Terns. Dinner was amazing- I tried a bit of everything, but liked the 5 lb crayfish, crayfish mornay, blue cod, and even smoked eel! Along with a few Tuis of course! We got back to Hotel Chathams in Waitangi around 9.30 pm and I was blown away by the luxurious new 2nd-story rooms! Very enjoyable- we all had separate rooms for the 4 nights.
Sun Dec 6: Pelagic and islands boat trip
The seas were extremely calm for our 8 am start from Owenga with skipper John Preece and “Cat-o-Nine”, a comfortable working 40-ft catamaran. Bob the bus driver rode along also. We headed for South East Island and soon located Shore Plovers on the rocks; good pics were obtained. There were at least a dozen Brown Skuas also. We stopped below some bush overhanging the water but had no luck attracting a Black Robin, although Carolyn later mentioned she’d seen small a black bird fly back and forth! Rounding the east end of South East, we headed for Pyramid. Our first Chatham Albatross appeared about 2 km north of Pyramid, as is usual. Two researchers and their tent were living dangerously high up on Pyramid! After soaking up the huge numbers of Chatham Albatrosses at this, thewr only breeding site, We decided to go about 5 km south of Pyramid to chum using paua guts, but these weren’t too effective. Skipper John’s radar map suggested that the best plan might be to go another 30 miles south to a big shelf drop-off. Magenta Petrel (Taiko) sightings are from the shelf area, so we might do this in 2011. We saw an interesting Wandering Albatross which we thought was an older Antipodean, but weren’t sure. We headed back up to Mangere and backed in to the usual spot at Black Robin Bush, where we found Forbes Parakeet fairly easily. However despite anchoring, turning off the engines, playing a Black Robin tape, and waiting for about an hour, no little black birds appeared. Disappointing. We went on around to Flower Pot where we were met by Bernie who drove us to Caravan Bush in her nice new 10-passenger van. We found the usual birds there, but despite a careful search in the bush, we couldn’t find a snipe. However a highlight was seeing (briefly, by design) a pair of Chatham Petrels in one of the translocation project nest boxes. After re-boarding the boat, we headed for Owenga and on to Waitangi, driven by Bob. We had a great dinner at Hotel Chathams, with a major bonus: we were visited at our table by world albatross expert Chris Robertson! He spent quite a while talking with us; I took away the concept that philopatry in albatrosses is leading to differentiation (albeit at varying rates) and thus justification (generally speaking) of species status for taxa at separate breeding locations.
Mon Dec 7: Chatham Island, Taiko boat trip.
A nice day was on hand for the land trip; Lois Croon even came along and drove. Seeing she owned the rental van, we were pretty safe from any extra charges! Lois knows the plants, too, so her presence was a nice bonus. We first drove out to West Waitangi, but the tide was pretty high and still coming in. Nevertheless we decided to go ahead onto the beach, but got stuck when we stopped at the first oystercatcher pair! We couldn’t get out, and the tide was still coming in! Lois went to get help at a farm about half a mile away while I plugged away moving the van a few feet further up the slope to avoid the tide, which was lapping at our tracks. Meanwhile, the group got great looks at, and photos of, Chatham Island Oystercatchers and Chatham Island Pipits! Finally old farmer Nick arrived with his ancient dual-wheel Leyland Nuffield tractor and freed up the van to where I could drive it another 400 yards or so to the stream area and harder sand. After taking a while to gain momentum (1st gear too much torque, 2nd gear too weak!), I finally made the stream area, took a wide turn near the stream and then accelerated back to the end of the beach and the gate- an exciting ride, to say the least! We thanked Nick (he’s seen it all before) and gave him a few $$ for his trouble. Our next stop was Te Whaanga Lagoon where we checked for shorebirds, but didn’t find much of interest. We did re-find the godwits we saw the night before on our way to Kaingaroa, and got 22 Red Knots along with the 78 Bar-tailed Godwits. No Ruddy Turnstones were to be had anywhere, though. We touristed the dendroglyphs at Hapupu and were back in Waitangi by 4 pm. After a 5.15 pm dinner, Val drove us at Sav-like speed over to Owenga where we left at 6.30 pm to look for Taiko, again with skipper John Preece. We parked about 5 km south of the Horns at 8 pm, with about 90 mins of daylight left. We had perfect viewing conditions, with smooth seas, but had no luck on Taiko. Finally we gave up around 9.45 pm. With the boat’s extremely bright running lights, our last chance for Taiko was to cruise slowly north past the Tuku River area, but again no luck. We then took off for Waitangi, enjoying the amazing show of White-faced Storm-petrels in the boat lights! We even had 3 come on board for great looks and close-up photos. Apart from the storm-petrels, we only saw 3 prions, but couldn’t identify them from the views we had in the bright lights. We finally arrived at Waitangi around midnight; Val had left the van for us so there was no need to walk to the hotel! Our Chathams trip list is now at 57 with Chatham Island Pigeon (Parea) to go!
Tue Dec 8: Chatham Island
After a leisurely continental breakfast we left with boxed lunches for the Awatotara River valley. We had no problem finding Parea- they’ve really increased in numbers since I was first there 8 years ago! We also found (Chatham Island) Red-fronted Parakeets but not Chatham Island Gerygone. The bush here is really thickening up, too, making it a very nice spot. After leaving Awatotara, we drove up to the lagoon to try for turnstones again, but no luck. Back at the Hotel, I asked Val about visiting the Kopinga Marae. He called, and they could take us right away, so we went up and enjoyed a very interesting presentation by Manu and Michelle, followed by the obligatory cuppa and a look around the Chatham Island endemic plants in the garden. We relaxed around Waitangi the rest of the day, finishing up with another awesome dinner (I had delicious crayfish mornay, with Tui of course).
Wed Dec 9: Chatham Island to Wellington and Auckland
Last day of the trip! The group did a bit of last-minute shopping and we left for the airport for our 10.30 am departure. After an uneventful flight to Wellington we said goodbye to Suzanne as she left for Australia, and Larry, Carolyn and I went on to Auckland. We arrived around 3 pm, and Larry and Carolyn went for overnight at BKs again, while I rented a car and drove to Cambridge, arriving around 7 pm. It was great to see Norm and Liz again. I spent the next 3 days relaxing in Cambridge, doing laundry, getting things in order, and visiting Dad each day. He’s doing well for 95, but doesn’t get around anymore and has dementia. On Sat Dec 12 I returned to Auckland, had a nice barbecue at Nick and neice Catherine’s, and saw nephew Michael and very handsome young Shay! Then back to the airport for my 11 pm flight to Los Angeles.
Annotated Trip List
001. Apteryx mantelli North Island Brown Kiwi: 1 heard Trounson Kauri Park; strong wind, rain.
002. A. australis Southern Brown Kiwi (Southern Tokoeka): 2 seen Ocean Beach, Stewart Island.
003. A. rowi Okarito Brown Kiwi (Rowi): 1 seen briefly, 1 heard Okarito Forest.
A. owenii Little Spotted Kiwi: 1 seen, one observer, not counted, at Tiritiri Matangi I.
004. A. haastii Great Spotted Kiwi: 1 heard Bullock's Creek Road, Paparoa Nat. Forest
005. Anser anser Feral (Graylag) Goose: widespread.
006. Branta canadensis Canada Goose: widespread, but mostly South I.
007. Cereopsis novaehollandiae Cape Barren Goose: 3 at St. Anne's Lagoon.
008. Cygnus olor Mute Swan: Virginia L, Wanganui.
009. C. atratus Black Swan: widespread, including Chatham I.
010. Tadorna variegata Paradise Shelduck: widespread.
011. Hymenolaimus malacorhynchus Blue Duck: 6 on Manganuioteao R.
012. Anas platyrhynchos Mallard: widespread, but most are hybrids and back-crosses with Pacific Black Duck.
013. A. superciliosa Pacific Black Duck: phenotypic Pacific Black Ducks scarce and localized.
014. A. rhynchotis Australasian Shoveler: widespread in small numbers.
015. A. chlorotis Brown Teal: 2 on Tiritiri Matangi I.
016. A. gracilis Grey Teal: widespread.
017. Aythya novaeseelandiae New Zealand Scaup: widespread.
018. Callipepla californica California Quail: widespread.
019. Meleagris gallopavo Wild Turkey: widespread open farmland, most North I.
020. Alectoris chukar Chukar: 7 on north slope from parking lot Mt. John.
021. Coturnix ypsilophora Brown Quail: fairly common on Tiritiri Matangi I. One at Waipu Estuary was a rare mainland sighting.
022. Gallus gallus Red Jungle-Fowl: NZ listers count population near Warkworth.
023. Phasianus colchicus Common (Ring-necked) Pheasant: widespread.
024. Pavo cristatus Indian Peafowl: north of Wanganui.
025. Eudyptes pachyrhynchus Fiordland Penguin: 1 at Monro Beach.
026. Megadyptes antipodes Yellow-eyed Penguin: 2 on Bench Island north of Oban.
027. Eudyptula minor Little Penguin: widespread; 4 subspecies seen, including Chatham Is.
028: Diomedea chionoptera Wandering (Snowy) Albatross: one off Kaikoura.
029. D. gibsoni Wandering (Gibson's) Albatross: several off Kaikoura, 3 off Stewart I, 3 Gibson's/Antipodean Chatham Is.
030. D. epomophora Southern Royal Albatross: 2 off Kaikoura, 3 off Stewart I, 3 Chatham Is.
031. D. sanfordi Northern Royal Albatross: 1 Cook Strait, 4 off Kaikoura, 12 Chatham Is.
032. Thalassarche melanophris Black-browed Albatross: 1 off Stewart I.
033. T. impavida Campbell Albatross: 1 off Stewart I.
034. T. steadi White-capped Albatross: seen all pelagic trips; total 62, incl 40 Stewart I.
035. T. salvini Salvin's Albatross: seen most pelagic trips; total 31, incl 3 Chatham Is.
036. T. eremita Chatham Shy Albatross: abundant at Pyramid, Chatham Is, but none more than 2 km north of Pyramid.
037. T. nov. sp Pacific (Northern Buller's) Albatross: at least 200 around Chatham Is.
038. T. bulleri Southern Buller's Albatross: 4 in Te Waewae Bay.
039. Garrodia nereis Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: one near Wreck Reef, Stewart I. seen by Sav and Ross .
040. Pelagodroma marina White-faced Storm-Petrel: common Hauraki Gulf and off Whitianga; hundreds at night in boat lights Chatham Is.
041. Pealeornis maoriana New Zealand Storm-Petrel: 7 in Hauraki Gulf.
042. Macronectes giganteus Antarctic (Southern) Giant-Petrel: surprising one at Muriwai gannet colony; 2 off Kaikoura incl white morph; 2 at Chatham Is.
043. M. halli Hall's (Northern) Giant-Petrel: one or a few most pelagic trips; 150 or so at Chatham Is.
044. Fulmarus glacialoides Southern Fulmar: singles off Kaikoura and Stewart I. were rather late.
045. Daption capense Cape Petrel: widespread Kaikoura southward, including Chatham Is., all australe; 2 apparent capense off Kaikoura, one at Chatham Is.
046. Puffinus bulleri Buller's Shearwater: only common off Whitianga, few elsewhere, incl one Kaikoura.
047. P. carneipes Flesh-footed Shearwater: Common Hauraki Gulf, Whitianga, 4 Cook Strait.
048. P. griseus Sooty Shearwater: only a few north, but abundant Foveaux Strait and Chatham Is.
049. P. tenuirostris Short-tailed Shearwater: singles Whitianga and Kaikoura.
050. P. gavia Fluttering Shearwater: abundant Hauraki Gulf, Whitianga, Queen Charlotte Sound.
051. P. huttoni Hutton's Shearwater: many from shore but none (!) on pelagic at Kaikoura.
052. P. assimilis Little Shearwater: one dark-faced probable kermadecensis Hauraki Gulf, 12 white-faced Hauraki Gulf, 20 Whitianga.
053. Procellaria aequinoctialis White-chinned Petrel: 15 off Kaikoura, 8 Stewart I.
054. P. parkinsoni Black (Parkinson's) Petrel: 15 Hauraki Gulf, 3 Whitianga.
055. P. westlandica Westland Petrel: 10 Cook Strait (molting flight feathers), numerous Kaikoura.
056. Pachyptila turtur Fairy Prion: a few seen most pelagic trips.
057. Pterodroma axillaris Chatham Petrel: 2 seen at nest site on Pitt Island.
058. P. inexpectata Mottled Petrel: 8 seen extremely well Stewart I.
059. P. cookii Cook's Petrel: 750 Hauraki Gulf, 300 Whitianga, 1 Foveaux Strait and 10 Stewart I.
060. P. pycrofti Pycroft's Petrel: 1 well seen Hauraki Gulf, 100+ off Whitianga; many intermediate birds unidentifiable.
061. P. macroptera Great-winged (Grey-faced) Petrel: Seen (1-12) all 4 pelagic trips, including one Stewart I.
062. Pelecanoides urinatrix Common Diving-Petrel: Common throughout.
063. Morus serrator Australasian Gannet: Common in north, none south of Kaikoura.
064. Phalacrocorax melanoleucos Little Pied Cormorant: widespread.
065. P. varius Pied Cormorant: widespread around coasts.
066. P. sulcirostris Little Black Cormorant: North I only, widespread in low numbers.
067. P. carbo Great Cormorant: widespread, including Chatham I.
068. Leucosticte carunculatus Rough-faced (King) Shag: 14 well inside Queen Charlotte Sound.
069. L. chalconotus Stewart Island Shag: common Foveaux Strait area.
070. L. onslowi Chatham Shag: About 20 on cliffs near Waitangi; 50 in all Chatham Is.
071. Stictocarbo punctatus Spotted Shag: 3 Wellington Harbor; common Marlborough Sounds.
072. S. featherstoni Pitt Island Shag: about 75 around Chatham Is.
073. Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Australasian Little Grebe: 2 at Ormiston Rd pond near Waipu.
074. Poliocephalus rufopectus New Zealand Grebe (Dabchick): North I only; fairly common on lakes. One Otaki sewage ponds.
075. Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe: 4 at Lake Pearson and 1 in Lake Ohau area.
076. Platalea regia Royal Spoonbill: widespread at estuaries in low numbers.
077. Egretta alba Great Egret (White Heron): 4 breeding plumage Hokitika River at main highway- prob breeding L Mahinapua
078. E. intermedia Intermediate Egret: one in breeding plumage at Milford Sound docks. This bird had a yellow bill, plumes, and a gape line not extending past the eye.
079. E. sacra Pacific Reef-Egret: One at Waiwera.
080. E. novaehollandiae White-faced Heron: common and widespread, including Chatham Is.
081. Nycticorax caledonicus Rufous Night-Heron: 6 at Kemp's Pole in roost by slip.
082. Botaurus poiciloptilus Australasian Bittern: 1 at Whangamarino Swamp.
083. Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis: 2 at Manawatu Estuary.
084. Milvus migrans Black Kite: one at Waihopai Valley Road.
085. Circus approximans Swamp Harrier: widespread, including Chatham Is.
086. Falco novaezeelandiae New Zealand Falcon: singles not seen by all Eglinton Valley, Temple Valley.
087. Gallirallus australis Weka: common Punakaiki area, Ulva I. and Chatham I.
088. G. philippensis Buff-banded Rail: 2 at Opoutere.
089. Porzana pusilla Baillon's (Marsh) Crake: one at Ruataniwha Wetland, Ohau Delta.
090. P. tabuensis Spotless Crake: one at Wharf Pond, Tiritiri Matangi I.
091. Porphyrio porphyrio Purple Swamphen: widespread, incl a few Chatham I.
092. P. hochstetteri South Island Takahe: 2+ Tiritiri Matangi I.
093. Fulica atra Common Coot: Okere Falls, Taupo (Waihi), Wanganui (Virginia L), Rakatu Wetland.
094. Haematopus finschi South Island Pied Oystercatcher: widespread, at estuaries North and South I. and inland South I.br>
095. H. unicolor Variable Oystercatcher: widespread at estuaries and on beaches.
096. H. chathamensis Chatham Oystercatcher: 6 at Waitangi West beach Chatham I.
097. Himantopus leucocephalus White-headed (Pied) Stilt: widespread.
098. H. novaezelandiae Black Stilt: one at L. Poaka.
099. Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden-Plover: 4 at Miranda, 5 each Manawatu Estuary and Grassmere.
100. Charadrius bicinctus Double-banded Plover: widespread at estuaries and riverbeds.
101. C. (=Anarhynchus) frontalis Wrybill: 32 at Miranda, 5 at L. Grassmere.
102. C. obscurus Red-breasted (New Zealand) Plover: 22 from Waipu Estuary south to Maketu.
103. Thinornis novaeseelandiae Shore Plover: 4 on Rangatira (Southeast) I., Chatham Is.
104. Elseyornis melanops Black-fronted Dotterel: singles at Mangere and Otaki sewage ponds.
105. Vanellus miles Masked Lapwing: widespread; also Chatham I.
106. Limosa haemastica Hudsonian Godwit: one at Miranda.
107. L. lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit: widespread; 1500 at Miranda, 78 Chatham I.
108. Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone: widespread.
109. Calidris canutus Red Knot: common at North I. estuaries, 22 Chatham I. with godwits.
110. C. ruficollis Red-necked Stint: 3 at Maketu.
111. C. acuminata Sharp-tailed Sandpiper: 3 at Miranda.
112. C. ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper: 1 at Miranda, 2 at Grassmere.
113 Catharacta antarctica Brown Skua: common Foveaux Strait and at Chatham Is.
114. Stercorarius pomarinus Pomarine Jaeger: 1 off Stewart I. seen by Sav and Ross.
115. Stercorarius parasiticus Parasitic Jaeger: fairly common around North I. and in Marlborough Sounds. Two at Chatham Is.
116. Larus dominicanus Kelp Gull: widespread.
117. L. scopulinus Red-billed Gull: widespread.
118. L. bulleri Black-billed Gull: widespread, including colony at Miranda; common inland South I.
119. Sterna caspia Caspian Tern: widespread in small numbers; total 23.
120. S. striata White-fronted Tern: widespread, including Chatham Is.
121. S. albifrons Arctic Tern: one well-studied at Wakapatu Beach.
122. S. nereis Fairy Tern: 2 at Waipu Estuary, 5 at Mangawhai Estuary.
123. S. albostriatus Black-fronted Tern: fairly good numbers, esp Eglinton Valley, inland South I. riverbeds.
124. Columba livia Rock Pigeon: widespread; often away from human habitation.
125. Streptopelia roseogrisea Barbary (African Collared-) Dove: abundant in north Orewa at Orewa House.
126. Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove: 6 at Puketutu I., Mangere, 1 near Katikati.
127. Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae New Zealand Pigeon: widespread.
128. H. chathamensis Chatham Island Pigeon (Parea): 18 at Awatotara River.
129. Cacatua galerita Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: 6 at Cascades Kauri Park.
130. Nestor notabilis Kea: Arthur's Pass, Homer Tunnel; total 24.
131. N. meridionalis Kaka: 1 near Opoutere, 8 at Pureora. Several South I. and common at Oban.
132. Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae Red-crowned Parakeet: Common Tiritiri Matangi I. and Ulva I.; 2-3 at Awatotara River on Chatham I. and several at Caravan Bush, Pitt I.
133. C. auriceps Yellow-crowned Parakeet: a few at Pureora, Motuara I., Haast Pass, Ulva I.
134. C. forbesi Forbes's Parakeet: 6 on Mangere I., Chatham Is.
135. Platycercus eximius Eastern Rosella: common North I. with southernmost near Foxton.
136. Chrysococcyx lucidus Shining Bronze-Cuckoo: widespread, but hard to see well.
137. Urodynamis taitensis Long-tailed Cuckoo: 2-3 heard and one well-seen at Pureora, few elsewhere.
138. Athene noctua Little Owl: Only sighting at dairy farm south of Te Tua.
139. Ninox novaeseelandiae Morepork: heard whenever we were out after dark. Two well seen in spotlight Paparoa Nat. Park.
140. Dacelo novaeguineae Laughing Kookaburra: 2 at Matakana Rd near Warkworth.
141. Halcyon sanctus Sacred Kingfisher: widespread northern North I., fewer elsewhere.
142. Acanthisitta chloris Rifleman: 2 Tiritiri Matangi I nesting; widespread South I. beech forests.
143. Xenicus gilviventris New Zealand Rock Wren: pair well seen at Homer Tunnel, but then disappeared.
144. Notiomystis cincta Stitchbird (Hihi): common at Tiritiri Matangi I.
145. Anthornis melanura New Zealand Bellbird: common at Tiritiri Matangi I. and from Pureora south through South I. and Ulva I.
146. Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae Tui: widespread except for southern North I. and northeastern South I., where none seen. Five on Pitt I.
147. Gerygone igata Grey Gerygone (Warbler): widespread.
148. G. albofrontata Chatham Islands Gerygone (Warbler): 6 at Caravan Bush, Pitt I.
149. Callaeas cinereus Kokako: 3 on Tiritiri Matangi I.
150. Philesturnus rufasater Saddleback: currently the North and South Island Saddlebacks are considered one species, although they apparently will be split in the future. A South Island Saddleback was seen on Motuara I, Queen Charlotte Sound, and 6 on Ulva I. North Island Saddleback is common on Tiritiri Matangi I.
151. Gymnorhina tibicen Australasian Magpie: widespread.
152. Mohoua ochrocephala Mohua (Yellowhead): seen only on Ulva I., where 2 found. Apparently gone from Haast Pass, but possibly re-populating at Lake Gunn Nature Trail.
153. M. albicilla Whitehead: common Tiritiri Matangi I., a few at Pureora.
154. M. novaeseelandiae Pipipi (Brown Creeper): widespread South I.
155. Rhipidura fuliginosa New Zealand Fantail: widespread North and South Is., 8 on Pitt I.
156. Corvus frugilegus Rook: 4 between Whakamaru and Pureora.
157. Petroica macrocephala New Zealand Tomtit: widespread in low numbers North and South Is., 8 on Pitt I.
158. P. australis New Zealand Robin: common Tiritiri Matangi I., Pureora, widespread South I, Ulva I.
159. Hirundo neoxena Welcome Swallow: widespread North I. and South I., numbers lower towards south. A few Chatham Is.
160. Alauda arvensis Sky Lark: widespread, including Chatham Is.
161. Bowdleria punctata Fernbird: seen well by a few Tiritiri Matangi I., seen well pakihi swamp Te Anau Downs.
162. Zosterops lateralis Silver-eye: widespread, including Chatham Is.
163. Acridotheres tristis Common Myna: widespread North I.; southernmost near Wellington.
164. Sturnus vulgaris Common (European) Starling: widespread, including Chatham Is.
165. Turdus merula Eurasian Blackbird: widespread, a few on Chatham Is.
166. T. philomelos Song Thrush: widespread, most common in north; a few on Chatham Is.
167. Passer domesticus House Sparrow: widespread, including Chatham Is.
168. Prunella modularis Dunnock: widespread, but in low numbers northward; one singing at Homer Tunnel; one on Chatham I.
169. Anthus novaeseelandiae New Zealand Pipit: widespread North and South Is., but somewhat localized by preferred habitat.
170. A. chathamensis Chatham Islands Pipit: common on Chatham and Pitt Is.
171. Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch: widespread.
172. Carduelis chloris European Greenfinch: widespread North and South Is. A few Chatham I.
173. C. carduelis Eurasian Goldfinch: widespread, including Chatham Is.
174. C. flammea Common Redpoll: widespread, especially to south, and on Chatham Is.
175. Emberiza citrinella Yellowhammer: widespread North and South Is.
176. E. cirlus Cirl Bunting: male at Halswell Quarry Park, Christchurch.