Trip Report: New Zealand Nov 8-28, 2011

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Ross Silcock, NZ Land & Pelagic Bird Tours

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This is a report on the 2011 version of my biennial NZ tour. This year there were 6 participants, myself, and a driver (none other than that birder par excellence, Sav Saville of Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ), for a total of 8 in the group.

We saw a total of 166 species (for taxonomy, see Trip List, below; according to the "Birder's List" used by NZ birders, total was 168, with split of NZ Albatross and NZ Tomtit). We did not try for 3 difficult endemics, Great Spotted Kiwi (very shy and hard to find with a group), Orange-fronted Parakeet (difficult access for a group), and Kakapo (off limits to public) We had tremendous pelagic trips, netting 32 tubenoses!


Itinerary

Nov 8: Mangere Sewage Ponds, Cascades Park, Muriwai, Waiwera, Wenderholm.
Nov 9: Tawaharanui Regional Park, Mangawhai Estuary, Waipu Estuary, Ormiston Road Pond.
Nov 10: Waipoua Forest, Mangawhai, Matakana Road.
Nov 11: Pelagic trip to Hauraki Gulf, including Mokohinau Islands.
Nov 12: Tiritiri Matangi Island. Overnight on island.
Nov 13: Tiritiri Matangi Island, Miranda.
Nov 14: Whangamarino Swamp, Whitianga, pelagic trip beyond Red Mercury.
Nov 15: Tairua, Pureora, Taupo.
Nov 16: Taupo, Hawkes Bay (Ahuriri Estuary, Haumoana, Anderson Park), Turangi.
Nov 17: Turangi, Ruatiti, Manawatu Estuary.
Nov 18: Manawatu Estuary, L. Horowhenua, Wellington Harbour, Cook Strait, Marlborough Sounds.
Nov 19: Marlborough Sounds, Waihopai Valley Rd, Wairau Lagoons, Grasmere, Kaikoura.
Nov 20: Kaikoura.
Nov 21: Kaikoura, St Anne's Lagoon, Lake Pearson, Arthur's Pass, Okarito.
Nov 22: Franz Joseph Glacier, Fox Glacier, Bruce Bay, Knights Point, Jackson Bay, Pleasant Flat, Haast Pass, Wanaka.
Nov 23: Wanaka, Te Anau, Homer Tunnel.
Nov 24: Milford Road and Milford Sound.
Nov 25: Te Anau, Te Wae Wae Bay, Wakapatu Beach, Daffodil Bay, Sterling Point, Invercargill.
Nov 26: Invercargill, Bluff, Stewart Island.
Nov 27: Foveaux Strait ferry to Bluff, L Poaka, Glentanner.
Nov 28: Omarama, Ruataniwha Wetland, Mt John, Rushbrooks Rd, Ashburton.


Daily Journal

Day 1: Nov 8 (Tuesday) Mangere Sewage Ponds, Cascades Park, Muriwai, Waiwera, Wenderholm.

Woke up at 4.45 am (didn't need the alarm) and headed for the airport to meet Johnsons and Klaphakes on the 5 am flight from San Francisco, which arrived a bit early at 4.50 am. I waited around and at 5.45 started to worry a bit- finally at 6.10 pm here they came- apparently Betty had some trouble with her boots. Anyway, we waited a while for Hughsons to show up, which they did around 7 am, so just needed Sav to arrive at 7.15, which he did, and we were on our way. First stop was the Creamery Road entrance to the sewage works, where there are nice mitigation shell banks. Picked up a few shorebirds, notably Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, and went around to the Island Rd causeway to Puketutu Island. Picked up some ducks there, as well as shags and Spotted Dove, and headed for Cascades Kauri Park. Soon found the target Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, as well as a cooperative California Quail family, but the place was pretty dead, prob due to some construction work going on there. From Cascades we headed for Muriwai and the gannet colony, which was spectacular as usual. Lots of White-fronted Terns and good looks at singing Dunnocks and a Yellowhammer. Picked up lunch at a tearoom in Swanson and headed over to Orewa. We checked in to the aptly-named Edgewater Motel (nice, on the beach) and unloaded our luggage then hit Waiwera, Straka's Refuge, Waiwera Water Treatment Pond, and Wenderholm Park. Best bird we found was a Reef Egret at Wenderholm, a species we've missed on previous trips. Also found NZ Grebe and NZ Scaup at Straka's. Sav saw a Banded Rail at Wenderholm, but he was the only one- hopefully we'll pick that up tomorrow at Tawharanui. We all had good looks at an upset Grey Warbler at Wenderholm, too. Back to the motel, then up town for a nice supper at the Ship and Anchor- I had a seafood chowder with a Monteith's Black (almost like a stout or guinness). Back to the motel for first day's compilation. A very nice 59 species to start out- Reef Egret prob the best bird. Everyone is tired as expected, so we'll start at a leisurely 8 am tomorrow, heading for Warkworth and breakfast there, on our way to Kauri Coast Holiday Park and our first shot at a kiwi.

Day 2: Nov 9 (Wednesday) Tawaharanui Regional Park, Mangawhai Estuary, Waipu Estuary, Ormiston Road Pond.

After our first night of good sleep, we left at 8 am for Warkworth, where we had breakfast- bacon and eggs Kiwi-style and a flat white (milk coffee, no foam, or it would be a latte, I think). Delicious! Headed up the Matakana Road on our way to the newly-predator-fenced Tawaharanui Regional Park, looking for Kookaburras on the way, but no luck on the Kookas. The park was great- amazing what happens when rats, cats, stoats, and mice are cleared out and kept out. We easily picked up Brown Teal and Banded Rail, the latter wandering around in the open. Also lots of other common things- Caspian Tern, RN Pheasant, Skylarks, etc. Took back roads north to Mangawhai and on the way had good looks at a NZ Pipit and were surprised to see 2 Kookaburras flying across a field into some pines between Waiteitei and Whangaripo on the Whangaripo Rd. However we couldn't locate them in the pines. Everyone got good looks as they flew, showing the white wing patches. We'll have another try tomorrow around the Matakana vineyards. At Mangawhai we arrived at the causeway bridge just south of town and again were surprised to see a group of White-faced Herons coming in to feed on the outgoing tide and with them a Great Egret (imaginatively called White Heron by NZers). Great Egrets breed in the far South Island and are absent from the north (usually!) Given the location and date, Sav thought there was a chance it was actually a blow-over from Ozzie. We then went downtown by the pub to check out the main estuary and soon picked out a couple of distant Fairy Terns. No luck, though on the Little Egret and Little Tern that have been there a few weeks. We'll have another shot at them tomorrow, too. Probably the highlight of our visit to Mangawhai was the amazing public toilet. Kiwis call them loos, and are very proud of their local public loos, which each town takes pains to provide. They are always clean, well signed, and easy to find. Travelers don't have to buy something at the gas station to get access to a toilet! Anyway, this loo had 3 spaces each with its own door (thank goodness), and flashing lights outside each door that indicated whether the particular loo was occupied. Once you went in and locked the door, a taped message said that you had 10 minutes and the door would open (we didn't have much trouble figuring out why that feature was included), and it played music while you were availing yourself of the comforts. As each of us used the loo, the rest of us stood across the way watching and laughing as the light show indicated progress and our turns came. Never thought toilet visits could be that much fun! Next we headed on north to Waipu and Johnson Point Rd. Soon found 2 more Fairy Terns and added Ruddy Turnstone to the trip list. Then over to Waipu town for lunch which we carried over to Ormiston Road Pond. Soon located Aust Little and NZ Grebes- very cooperative. Sav heard a Shining Cuckoo and played the tape, which brought the bird right over us into a manuka bush for great views (and pics). A small group of Silvereyes also entertained us in a flowering shrub nearby. Finally we took off for Dargaville and the Kauri Coast Holiday Park, our overnight. We went down to the Kaihu Pub for dinner. This is an old working-men's pub in true Kiwi style- drinking standing up in the main bar, rough-looking locals (no women), even a retired pig dog with his many battle scars. The meal was huge and delicious- I had a seafood platter- nothing like fresh seafood hours away from swimming around. Went back to the cabins and at 8 pm left for the Kiwi Walk. As usual Herb took us around talking about all the night wildlife and kauri trees- very interesting by night! We saw no kiwi with Herb, but heard 5 males. After Herb left we went back out and Sav got a large female in his light- we all had great looks! Back to the cabins at around 11.15 pm- earlier than usual! A great day-no misses yet, although we will have another shot at the Mangawhai birds tomorrow.

Day 3: Nov 10 (Thursday) Waipoua Forest, Mangawhai, Matakana Road.

After our success with Brown Kiwi last night, we headed back to the Kaihu Pub for a late-ish breakfast at 8.15 am. Typical delicious Kiwi Breakfast- cereal with apricots, bacon and eggs with sausage and scrambled eggs, toast and Vegemite. Next up the usual visit to Waipoua Forest and the incredibly huge kauri tree, Tane Mahuta. It never fails to impress as one arrives at the viewing point and suddenly looms this massive tree. One girl about 9 years old came to the spot and suddenly noticed the tree to her left and screamed! It is an unexpectedly surprising sight. Found a cooperative North Island Tomtit near the toilets for a trip tick. Off down the road to Dargaville and back across to Highway 1 at Brynderwyn, where we stopped at the Swinging Cow Tearooms- an iconic place, but pretty much standard tearoom fare. I had a date scone and Flat White coffee for lunch. Headed south to Kaiwaka and east to Mangawhai on the east coast. Soon located 3 Fairy Terns and scored with the Little Tern that had been present a while. Despite hanging around for about 2 hours, we never saw the Little Egret that has been there a few weeks. Oh well, we have another shot near Napier in a few days- one has been there at Haumoana a long time. We arrived at our motel in Warkworth, Walton Park Motel, around 4.45 pm. Along the way we had a couple of Canada Geese- not our favorite trip bird, but it counts! Relaxed a bit then got ready for dinner and at 6.15 pm went to the reliable Kookaburra spot on Matakana Road and soon found one. Gave us good photo ops, and we went back to town for an enjoyable dinner at the Bridge Restaurant, our regular trip haunt. I had very nice fish of the day (tarakihi) with Israeli couscous (bigger than Mediterranean couscous) and a couple of Speights Dark beers. Very nice. Back to the motel for the count-up.

Day 4: Nov 11 (Friday) Hauraki Gulf Pelagic.

GO KNIGHTS! Our local high school football team cleaned Armstrong-Ringsted's clock 69-26 at the Uni-Dome in the state 8-man semi-final. Now heavy favorites to beat Murray for the championship! Today was our first big boat trip! The day dawned beautifully- some breeze, good sun. Should be perfect out on the ocean. Right after the room-service continental breakfast we left for the Sandspit Marina and the famous Brett Rathe's "Assassin"- a great 40-footer and a skipper second-to-none for knowledge of Hauraki Gulf birds. Also along was Phil Hammond, a noted NZ ornithologist, as well as a couple from Canada. Left around 8.15 am and hurried out to just northwest of Little Barrier Island and chummed for a while- all the usuals showed up, including 1-2 NZ Storm-Petrels, once thought to be extinct, but rediscovered in 2002 by Sav Saville, in the boat with us today! Headed out to the Mokohinau Islands, about 40 miles from Sandspit and had a cup of tea. On out another 4 miles or so for a chum, finally yielded a Black Petrel, a gulf specialty that was surprisingly scarce on the day. Cook's Petrels were ubiquitous, prob 1000 or so. Quite amazing were 3 separate dense swirling flocks of Fairy Prions, total maybe 50,000- an amazing sight indeed. Good number of Little Shearwaters- about 11 in all- even got a great pic! Back to the Mokohinaus for lunch in a sheltered cove, with a few Tui and Red-crowned Parakeets detected on Burgess Island. Headed back towards a trawler near Little Barrrier, did another chumming session, yielded a NZ Storm-Petrel and 3 Giant Petrels which were hanging around the trawler, but little else. As abundant as the birds were in the morning, they were pretty scarce in the afternoon. Started the long haul back to Sandspit, with a brief look for Weka and Peafowl on Kawau (yes on both), then in to the marina (Little Penguin on the way). Quick clean-up and back to the Bridge Restaurant- I had a personal gourmet pizza (OK), did the countup and called it a day.

Day 5: Nov 12 (Saturday) Tiritiri Matangi Island.

Left the motel in Warkworth at 8 am after continental breakfast (muesli and 4% milk, hot buttered toast and vegemite- yum) and headed for Gulf Harbor for the ferry to Tiri. On the way stopped while Sav bought groceries for our overnight on Tiri, where there are no facilities other than hot water. We sleep in sleeping bags in a bunkhouse, but as we spend most of the evening looking for kiwis, we still sleep pretty well. Caught the ferry and motored over to Tiri along with a large number of other day visitors, who will return at 3.30 pm leaving the island to us! As well, there are 4 ladies from Auckland who thought they'd just do something completely different and overnight on Tiri! Very nice ladies- they slept in the bunk room next to ours. Bunkrooms are gender segregated, so our group had the other two bunkrooms. Got off the ferry and walked up Wattle Track to the bunkhouse, picking up several of the island specialties on the way, including Kokako. Once we had settled in, we took a walk down to Kawarau Track, along Hobbs Beach, and back up Wattle Track. Found Riflemen at the nest boxes along Kawarau Track- they're doing really well it seems. So we got back to the wharf needing only Fernbird and Spotless Crake. Fernbird was easy in the puhoehoe shrubbery around the crake pond, but despite watching the pond for a couple of hours, no crake. Bummer. Highlight during our vigil was a Kokako that landed on the grass about 15 yards from us and grazed on the grass for 5 minutes! Amazing- great photos too! We finally gave up on the crake and went up to the bunkhouse to find that Sav had cooked up a great meal- grilled steak and chicken, white potatoes, salad, and a choice of red or white wine. Very nice. As it got dark we went out to look for kiwis. The weather straightened up a bit after the cool drizzle we endured while watching for the crake. After a while, we had heard several kiwi calling, but then here came the 4 ladies from Auckland talking loudly (we hadn't seen them yet) when suddenly a kiwi appeared right in front of them- they started talking even more loudly and of course the kiwi shot into the bush! Some of us got a mere glimpse. So after telling them how lucky they were to have found a kiwi while walking along talking, we went back to our stealth method of listening for noises in the bush made by foraging kiwi. Eventually we got good looks at one and fair looks at another. All in all a good night kiwiing. Went back to the bunkhouse and flopped into our bags, but didn't sleep well due to the chorus of snores (Clem and Richard) and my hips which were so sore I had to try sleeping on my back! Oh well, not a bad place to have sore hips!

Day 6: Nov 13 (Sunday) Tiritiri Matangi, Miranda.

Having only the crake to find on Tiri, I got up at 6 am to find Jan ready to go also (we need 2 or more in the group to see a bird to count it for our list). However I just had to take a shower after the long night, so she went on ahead. I had to use shampoo for soap as I didn't bring any, but got the job done and took off down the hill to the crake pond. Jan had just seen one, but it was pretty nervous. I waited about an hour and finally the little &^%$#@ showed up for about 3 seconds! Hey, it counts! Traipsed back up the hill to finish packing etc and the group decided to make a leisurely walk down to the wharf for our 10.30 am departure for the mainland. We're using a water taxi- fast and no set schedule to meet! Saw most of the expected birds on the way down- beautiful morning, beautiful place. The others in the group hung out at the crake pond, but no further luck on the crake. The water taxi was 30 min late, but got us safely back to Gulf Harbor, where we headed for lunch at the same cafe near the Countdown grocery store where Sav bought our groceries for Tiri. Had a delicious curry chicken hot pie, date scone, and large flat white- doesn't get much better than that! Finally departed for our first destination south of Auckland- we're on our way to the real NZ! Passed the "Welcome to Waikato" (my homeland) sign at the top of Bombay Hill, then turned left for Miranda. Miranda is a world-class shorebird location with thousands of acres of mudflats, but at high tide the thousands of birds (mostly godwits and knots) are forced to high spots on the shell banks called "high tide roosts". That's where we search through them for unusual species that have tagged along from Asia or North America. We first stopped at the Stilt Pool area to get the Marsh Sandpiper that had been there a while, then quickly found the 2 Gull-billed Terns that had also been there a while- strays blown over from Australia. Then headed to Taramaire for Wrybills, but no luck there. Up to New Zealand's best fish and chips store at Kaiaua, where we decided to eat in the restaurant. Very nice as usual; had gurnard and chips. We then headed back to the hide at the limeworks and quickly found Wrybills, a Red-necked Stint, and of course the common Black-billed Gulls. Unfortunately we ran out of light before the shorebirds had been forced up close to us, but were happy with our visit. Got back to the very nice accommodations at Miranda Holiday Park- my chalet is "Tern Inn"; others are "Knot Inn", etc. Quite clever. Finally made it into the hot mineral pool- just what my sore hips needed!

Day 7: Nov 14 (Monday) Falls Rd, Whitianga.

Started out by going for a pre-breakfast unsuccessful quick look for Rooks along Fairview Rd, and then on to look for Bittern at Falls Road, a high point on the road that overlooks an extensive wetland where we can scope for bitterns. This can sometimes take a while, but we found one in 2 minutes! We headed over to Thames for breakfast which turned out to be more like brunch, around 9.30 am! I had the Kiwi Breakfast (streaky bacon, which is like US bacon-typical NZ bacon is more like canadian bacon, 2 eggs, hash browns). From Thames we crossed the Coromandel Peninsula on the way to Whitianga, arriving there around 11.45 am and checking into our motel, the Peninsula (wonder how they came up with that name??) At 12.45 we picked up food for lunch on the boat, which departed the marina at 1 pm. Nice boat- Sapphire, a 42-footer, a bit slow, but a good pelagic birding boat. Headed out to the 135 fathom mark and chummed for about an hour, attracting 5 albatrosses, our first for the trip, 3 White-capped and 2 Salvin's. Also a Grey-faced Petrel, an easy bird to miss. The main purpose of this afternoon pelagic, though, is to be in the vicinity of the Mercury Islands in late afternoon, to intercept Pycroft's Petrels returning to the islands, where they breed. We saw lots of Cook's Petrels further out, but back in near the islands there was a dearth of Pycroft's, so no opportunity to get comparisons between the very similar Cook's and Pycroft's. Disappointing, but we did get to tick the darn thing off. Finally arrived back at the dock at 7 pm, cleaned up a bit, and had a nice dinner at Dino's Italian Restaurant. I had a rather spicy pepperoni pizza and a glass of shiraz.

Day 8 (Nov 15, Tuesday) Tairua, Pureora, Taupo.

Left the Peninsula Motel (best internet so far) and took off south to Tairua for breakfast. The 30-min drive turned out to be 45 mins when Sav discovered he'd left his toilet bag behind. Immediately I realized I had too- weird coincidence. Anyway- we arrived at Tairua at the usual tearoom, which has the best toaster I've seen- it works like a pizza cooker- put the toast on the moving chain and it drops out the bottom when it's toasted. A few shorebirds (mostly godwits) on the estuary behind the tearoom, then off to Thames and then plowing new ground into the Waikato. Good to be back in the Homeland! Shot through Matamata, on to Highway 1 down to Putaruru and Tokoroa (must be the worst town in NZ) and through the pine plantation (the world's largest artificial forest) to Whakamaru. Only 5 miles from Mangakino where I lived for 9 years ages 3-12. I used to ride my bike to Whakamaru- fun memories. Checked the pond at the dam and added Eurasian Coot then picked up lunch at the tearoom and headed up the hill towards Pureora, hoping for Rook on the way, but no luck. Went up to the forest itself- a wonderful old growth forest remnant of about 500 acres that is unlogged. Protestors in the 1970s climbed some of the biggest trees and refused to come down until the govt stopped the logging, which they did just in time to preserve this piece of forest with trees around 2000 years old- huge rimu and totara. We know the oldest are that age because the huge Taupo eruption 2000 years ago wiped out the existing forest at that time in the Pureora area. We stopped first at the nice campground just east of the main office to eat our lunch and found several nice endemics, including good looks at Yellow-fronted Parakeets, new for the trip, as well as flyover Kaka, also new. Pureora is an excellent place for Long-tailed Cuckoo, but we had a bit of trouble locating one. They weren't calling very much, but finally at the "Kokako Pullout" on Plains Rd one called and Sav was able to "drag it out" with his tape. It flew over us and back to its spot giving us all good looks, and relieved leaders! After such a good visit to always interesting Pureora, we headed back the short distance to Ringinui Rd, which passes through a small original bush fragment. Best sighting was actually a Rook flying over that Clem and I saw well, with glimpses for Jan and Sav. We headed back towards Whakamaru checking carefully for more Rooks, but no luck, until Sav spotted something a distance away on a rock. He checked with his scope and started getting very excited- a NZ Falcon! One of the tough birds to find on these trips, but there it was, a big female feeding on a small bird. Unfortunately a couple of the group thought at first that we were looking at a Rook, as we'd been looking for them, until we made it clear that this was a FALCON, which caused a rush to the scope. Great spot by Sav. After the excitement we headed at high speed (Sav was a bomber pilot, but we stayed on the ground, just) to Taupo, arriving around 4.45 pm. Taupo is a pretty town on the north shore of Lake Taupo; the huge volcanic eruption 2000 years ago left a big hole (caldera) now occupied by Lake Taupo. Off to dinner at 6 pm at Jolly Rogers, a very nice pub/restaurant just around the corner from our motel. All in all a very good day, highlighted by the NZ Falcon.

Day 9 (Nov 16, Wednesday) Taupo, Hawkes Bay (Ahuriri Estuary, Haumoana, Anderson Park), Turangi.

Started with cooked breakfast by room service- a nice NZ thing whereby one puts in the order to the office the night before and the order is brought to one's room at the selected time, such as "7.15-7.30 am". I had the basic bacon and eggs and toast, with press coffee. Nice. We took off right at 8 am for Hawkes Bay, an area I have no experience birding, but there were two very rare birds being seen there, Plumed Whistling-Duck and Little Egret, both strays from Australia. On the way we picked up a "cheap" tick- Mute Swans on the lake at Te Pohue, several miles west of Napier in the hills. At Napier, we first went to a nice city park in Taradale, a suburb of Napier, and soon found the 3 whistling-ducks; apparently they are the remaining birds from a group first seen at a wetland 150 miles or so further south and they have worked their way up to this park. Next we went a few miles south to Haumoana and checked the lagoon there for a long-staying but rather unpredictable Little Egret that has been in the area for about 10 years (!) We found it in a ditch but it flew to the other end of the lagoon where we had good looks after driving down there. We then spent some time checking for new shorebirds at the Ahuriri Estuary lagoons, a nice wetland complex with good tracks around it. We only added Banded Dotterel though, a common NZ shorebird, but also had spoonbills, Black-fronted Dotterels and a variety of waterfowl. Headed back to Taupo, about a 90-minute drive, and then south down the east side of Lake Taupo to Turangi. Just before the town we checked Frethey Drive, a good place for Fernbirds. We heard several, perhaps 15, and finally everyone had a good look at these common but secretive NZ endemics. We also had a few Lesser Redpolls, new for the trip, but a bird that is common further south on our trip. The Motel, Parklands, at Turangi has a nice restaurant and bar, where we ate. I had Scotch Fillet steak, roast potatoes, and veges (and, of course, 2 Speights Dark beers).

Day 10 (Nov 17, Thursday) Turangi, Ruatiti, Manawatu Estuary.

Woke up early and wandered around a bit on the grounds of the nice motel in Turangi taking pictures of California Quail before the cooked breakfast arrived. Same as yesterday- great start to the day! Headed off towards National Park and on to the Blue Duck river at Ruatiti. The name of the river is Manganuioteao (the vowels are pronounced as in Spanish- makes it easy- yeah right). Anyway, usually seeing a Blue Duck involves looking at the river, which is a fast-flowing, rocky river and seeing a Blue Duck perched up on a rock- very obvious. I don't think it's taken more than 10 minutes in all the previous trips, but this time it took 3 hours!!! Sav and I were very stressed, wondering why this was happening to us, until I finally spotted one right in the middle of the river on a rock with its mate and 4 little ducklings. This was our 4th pass along the river- where were they the first 3 passes?? Oh well, we finally got the bird. We stopped in Ohakune at a nice cafe for lunch then took off (almost literally) as Sav put the hammer down so we could get to the Manawatu Estuary at high tide, when all the shorebirds are forced onto a high tide roost and are easier to see. We made it right on time at 4 pm, but the birds were disappointing- only 4 species, nothing new. The wind was also blowing a gale, so we'll stop back in the morning before we head for the ferry and the South Island. We arrived in Palmerston North around 5.30 pm and were to walk the short distance from our motel to the house Sav and Jody occupy for a home-cooked dinner. It was wonderful. Rack of lamb, roast potatoes, asparagus, salad, and an egg plant thing. Plus lots of wine. Then a fresh fruit and cheese dish to finish. Amazing. We enjoyed meeting Jody- a lovely Kiwi lady who has 4 grown kids and is a special services RN. We got back to the motel, Braemar- very nice, around 9.30 pm.

Day 11 (Nov 18, Friday) Manawatu Estuary, L. Horowhenua, Wellington Harbour, Cook Strait, Marlborough Sounds.

We started by returning to the Manawatu Estuary to look for Pacific Golden-Plover which we missed last night. Soon found 3 across the estuary; easier to find when the tide's out a bit and they are out on the mud flats. Also a distant Wrybill, but not much else. Made a stop at Plimmerton in case the two Shore Plovers were there having flown over from nearby Mana Island, another predator-free island once farmed but now being restored with thousands of trees planted. Much like Tiri, but a couple of species of burrowing seabirds as well as the rare Shore Plover have been transferred there, all apparently successfully. Anyway, very exciting to find the two little birds, acting as though they weren't that rare after all, pottering about by the rocks in amongst the folks and cars and presumably cats and dogs. I hope they fly back to Mana and stay there with the 35 or so others that are a bit smarter! Headed on down to Wellington and the ferry- it was delayed ("technical problems") about 45 min. It was the "Aratere", which was recently refurbished in Singapore and a 50-meter section added amidships- more room for cars and the main passenger lounge. Saw a couple of Spotted Shags in the harbour while we were waiting for the ferry. The crossing was very good- breezy but good light to see lots of albatrosses, including Northern Royal and Wandering (the "big boys"), as well as White-chinned Petrel and a couple of Hutton's Shearwaters among the far more numerous Flutterings. We were lucky to come fairly close to a trawler trailing a bunch of albatrosses, including the Royals and Wandering. Another trawler a bit later had even more birds trailing it, but it was too far away to identify anything. Finally into Tory Channel and then Queen Charlotte Sound, beautiful scenery in the late afternoon. The ferry arrived at 5.45 pm and we headed over to Waikawa Bay and a classy motel right on the water (Bay Vista). Then back to the Irish Pub where most of us had fish and chips, which were very tasty. Our waitress might even have been Irish! Back to the motel for hopefully a good sleep, then down to Kaikoura tomorrow!

Day 12 (Nov 19, Saturday) Marlborough Sounds, Waihopai Valley Rd, Wairau Lagoons, Grasmere, Kaikoura.

This was the day for our boat trip out to outer Queen Charlotte Sound to look for King Shag and visit Motuara Island for South Island Saddleback and SI Robin. After the worst breakfast/coffee service yet, we stumbled out of the cafe a bit late for our Dolphin Encounter boat, a small but fast boat, skippered by Paul. We zipped out past Tory Channel and headed for the south end of Blumine Island, which has a rocky outcrop that is favored by resting King Shags. We weren't disappointed, as 8 were there. These are rare (about 600 in all) and occur only in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Later we saw a couple swimming (shags, that is). Over to Motuara Island, a Dept of Conservation preserve, noted as a safe place to rear Okarito Kiwi (aka Rowi) chicks until they are big enough to defend themselves against stoats and be released back in to the bush near Okarito where they were collected as eggs. In the daylight however, we don't see them on Motuara Island, but look for bush birds. Oddly, the best place is a small puddle of fresh water, the only fresh water on the island, that attracts the bush birds. The Dept of Conservation has even built a small set of bleachers to sit and watch from! We soon saw South Island Robin, had good looks at a Yellow-fronted Parakeet in the open, and after a few tense minutes, a South Island Saddleback showed up, but didn't go to the water. They are much more shy than the North Island Saddlebacks on Tiri. We had good looks at the saddleback, and trooped off down to the boat. We sped back to Picton, picked up lunch, and headed for Waihopai Valley Rd. Waihopai Valley Rd has an area of bushed hillside by a vineyard that has been patrolled for 18 years (!) by a single Black Kite, no doubt originally blown over from Australia. It isn't easy to find, but with patience it is usually seen flying around, which is what happened. We were quite relieved when Sav spotted it sailing along the ridge line. We finished what lunch we still had, and headed towards Kaikoura. We stopped at two sites on the chance of finding something new, Wairau Lagoons and Grasmere Saltworks, but no luck. We arrived at Kaikoura around 5 pm and decided to eat dinner at 6 then go out for Little Owls. At dinner in the pub/bistro next to our motel (Alpine View), I was approached by two of the local volunteer firemen selling raffle tickets for a pack of meat (beef, pork, lamb). They wanted $20 for 2 tickets, but I told them I wouldn't be here but would donate $10 to their excellent cause. They finally agreed to my offer, but insisted on giving me 2 tickets anyway. So I gave them to a nice young family of 4 at the next table. Lo and behold one of my tickets won the prize! The couple was so excited and grateful- they made their kids thank me too! Probably the most satisfaction I've gotten out of spending $10 for a long time. After dinner we headed out for a quick tour of Kaikoura and the peninsula, always interesting with the seal colony there. However we got the idea (no surprise) of looking for a Cirl Bunting, a sparrow-sized finch that is difficult to find, but occurs around Kaikoura. We drove up past the cemetery and along the top road, finally spotting a nice male on the telephone wires. Dixie noticed it at first from the van, while Sav and I were checking out some nearby bushes. Always a very good bird to find. After our success, there was still enough time to drive around the rural area west of Kaikoura in hopes of seeing a Little Owl on a fencepost, but no luck as it got dark. Back to the motel, looking forward to our big albatross boat trip tomorrow!

Day 13 (Nov 20, Sunday) Kaikoura.

Today is the big day looking at albatrosses close enough to touch! After continental room service breakfast, we went downtown to the Albatross Encounter location and checked in- Gary Melville will be our skipper, a great guy and very knowledgable. Had a cup of coffee while we were waiting and even did a bit of grandkid shopping! Around 8.45am took off for South Bay and the boat area. We climb up into the boat while it's on the trailer and they back us into the water with a tractor and off we go. Only went about a mile to our first chumming location- immediately surrounded by the usual several kinds of albatross as well as hundreds of Cape Petrels, and a few Westland and White-chinned Petrels. We chummed at 3 more locations, furthest out around 4 miles over the very deep Kaikoura Canyon. Brief look at a Great-winged Petrel, but no unusual species for the day. Six countable albatrosses: Snowy Wandering, New Zealand Wandering (both gibsoni and antipodensis), both Royals, and White-capped and Salvin's Shys. Close looks at a feeding Hutton's on the way back from an enjoyable but typical Kaikoura pelagic! Had a happy group of Dusky Dolphins around us for a few minutes- I was able to get pics of one jumping completely out of the water! Back at the "dock" (we drive the boat back onto the trailer and get pulled up on dry land), we decided lunch at the Seafood Barbecue place on the peninsula would be fun. They have all sorts of seafood, from fish to crayfish (lobster) to whitebait (the fritters with eyes!!), mussels, paua, scallops, etc. They cook it right then and it's delicious. I had a paua (abalone) fritter fried with some garlic and good NZ bread. The rest of the afternoon was free- most (even me) wandered around the shops, and Dixie had booked on the 3.30 pm Whale Watch trip. I looked around the shops and came up with a few gifts for the grandkids, picked up a rum and raisin ice cream cone and headed back to the motel. When I got there after the one-mile very pleasant walk in about 65 degree temps, Dixie said they'd canceled the Whale trip- very disappointing. I've heard that the operators have a bad track record of canceling for what seems like no good reason. At 6.30 pm we went to a Thai restaurant downtown. After a very long wait (bad habit NZ restaurants have sometimes), we got our food which was very good. I had blue cod in a red curry (a bit on the spicy side, but good), veges, and coconut rice (I love coconut). The blue cod was delicious, as blue cod always is- one of the highlights of a trip to NZ! After dinner we drove around again looking for a Little Owl. Finally spotted one and the group had a good look as it flew across the road in front of us. Number 144 for the trip- our tally is looking very good. I'm currently estimating 169, a new record, but who knows what the weather will be like on the West Coast and in the mountains!

Day 14 (Nov 21, Monday) Kaikoura, St Anne's Lagoon, Lake Pearson, Arthur's Pass, Okarito.

This was a big driving day, from Kaikoura to Franz Joseph Glacier (the town name actually is "Franz Joseph Glacier"). Started with room continental breakfast, then took off for our first stop, St Anne's Lagoon, a nice picnic area with a large pond with a good selection of waterfowl, most notably Cape Barren Goose, a weird large grey goose with a luminous green bill. This Australian species has been established for many years at this one location, but has not been able to multiply enough to spread, probably because of cats, rats, and/or stoats killing the chicks. We pulled in to Amberley a few miles further south for coffee and a quick snack to go, then off westward into the mountains. Along the way we got good looks at some Black-fronted Terns feeding over a pasture- they are beautiful grey birds with black caps and bright orange bills. Unfortunately they're probably on the road to extinction, as they can't be protected due to their nomadic breeding habits- colonies shift from year to year depending on river conditions, and are often devastated by cats and stoats. Next up was Lake Pearson, a reliable site for the odd-looking Great Crested Grebe. Although it was showery, we located 2 at a distance for scope views. We arrived at Arthur's Pass in driving rain, but the Keas (montane parrots) were in their usual spot, sitting on the tables at the cafe in the middle of town! Birding can be tough sometimes. We had lunch there, but because of the heavy rain we didn't look for Rifleman, Brown Creeper, or South Island Tomtit, which are common in the area, but pressed on over the pass itself and down the Otira Gorge and its spectacular viaduct. On our way out to the coast and southward the rain kept up, and we were wondering if the weather would clear in time for the kiwi trip tonight. On through Hokitika and the eponymous Ross (a nice little town, once a gold-mining area), with a brief stop at Lake Ianthe for a much closer look at a Great Crested Grebe, and finally to the Okarito turnoff. As forecasted, the heavy rain stopped, and by the time we reached the tiny village of Okarito, it was sunny! We checked in with Ian Cooper of Okarito Kiwi Tours, and the trip was on! We were to meet him at 8 pm at the start of the trail into kiwi territory. Seeing it was only around 5.15 pm, we headed to Franz Joseph Glacier and checked into our motel just south of town. At 6 pm, dressed and ready for the kiwi trip later, but a bit worried about the drizzle, we had a very nice dinner in town and left a bit early for the kiwi spot. The stars aligned for us as the rain stopped and the wind dropped, both necessary conditions for finding kiwi in the dark (one hears them poking around in the bush and tries to get them in the flashlight). Ian showed up right on 8 pm and gave us our instructions. Ian is very passionate about "his" kiwis and very strict about how we are to behave (quiet, staying together, etc). He knows his stuff, and after a while, the male and female of the pair Ian was tracking called, no more than 30 yards from us. We stood silently, waiting, and then, right where Ian had positioned us, out popped a beak and head, the bird looked around, and ran up the track! Good look, but the night was not over. We tracked the other bird of the pair down the track to the parking lot (!), then down the main highway, followed by our group jogging breathlessly, where it was joined by its mate again and we finally got fabulous views of the birds in the brushy grass beside the road- one of the best looks I've had of my 7 or 8 sightings of kiwi other than at Stewart Island (where they come out onto a beach). We happy campers flopped back into the van for the 12-mile trip back to our motel, tired but thrilled. It was only 11.15 pm!

Day 15 (Nov 22, Tuesday) Franz Joseph, Fox, Bruce Bay, Knights Point, Jackson Bay, Pleasant Flat, Haast Pass, Wanaka.

Helen asked on the way back from the kiwi trip if we could sleep late the next morning. When asked by Sav when that would be, Helen said "7 am"! Well, I guess Helen IS a rancher, and probably never has slept past 7 am. So- we headed off at 8 am on the dot (this is a very punctual group) for Fox Glacier and after that breakfast. The glacier seems to be slumping- after 2 years from my last visit it just isn't the same spectacle. No great ice-blue face, just a flattened down (melting?) shadow of its former self. Still worth a look though. We went to the great tearoom at Lake Matheson for breakfast- I was ready at around 9.30am- had a "bacon, egg, and sausage butty", which turned out to be those things on two slices of buttered bread! So- just a bacon, egg, and sausage sandwich. Tasted great though. And lots of birds out the window- had to have my binoculars and camera ready. Today's drive to Wanaka involved mostly sightseeing down the ruggedly beautiful West Coast, with its far more angry seas than the East Coast. We made stops at Bruce Bay for Hector's Dolphin (no), Knights Point for Elephant Seal (no), and (a new place for me) Jackson Bay for Fiordland Crested Penguin (no). With that string of mild failures, we had lunch at the Cray Pot, the only food place at Jackson Bay while we looked for the penguins and I ate my fish and chips. Biggest problem with the fish and chips was keeping the gulls away from them; Sav reminded me of Lyn's loss of a piece of fish to a low-flying gull on the 2007 trip while Lyn was expounding on something and waving her fish in the air. Not having much luck along the coast, but thrilled by the great scenery, we turned inland to sample the even more magnificent scenery as we crossed over Haast Pass back to the sunny side of the world. Just before the Pass is a nice little picnic area with nice toilets called Pleasant Flat, a known site for the South Island endemic Brown Creeper (not at all like the US Brown Creeper). We soon located one which gave us great views, but it was close between seeing the creeper and leaving because of the myriads of sandflies (like Minnesota black flies). We soon took off, albeit with a van-load of sandflies. At the top of Haast Pass is some beautiful old beech forest which is the home to a few surviving Yellowheads, an iconic South Island endemic that is virtually extinct on the mainland. We managed to find two of these beautiful birds after some searching and Sav's keen ears- very encouraging that this small population is holding on. We only know of 2 other mainland places with small populations left. Of course it is doing well as a translocated species on Ulva Island, a small predator-free island off Stewart Island. We'll be there in a few days. On to Wanaka- not much along the way except that the vegetation changes abruptly (you can see the line where beech forest ends and dry scrub starts) when one enters the rain-shadow area just east of the high mountains. We had just come from the West Coast where it was showery and lush, and now just over Haast Pass it was suddenly sunny and dry. New Zealand is a land of contrasts and rapidly-changing scenery, indeed. In Wanaka we checked in to our usual excellent motel, Archway, and walked down the hill a couple hundred yards to our usual eating place, Ashraf's Indian Restaurant, an excellent operation. Had Lamb Korma and a couple of Kingfisher (Indian) beers as well as a small serving of mango ice cream, for a nice finish to a great day of sightseeing and eating, with a couple of good birds to keep our focus on the real purpose of the trip. We're still on track for 169, with a chance to end at 170. We'll need everything to break our way though, and a couple of rarities on the Stewart Island pelagic.

Day 16 (Nov 23, Wednesday) Wanaka, Te Anau, Homer Tunnel.

We started out at 8.15 pm for the rather featureless drive through the part of New Zealand furthest from the sea through to Te Anau. We passed through the tiny town of Garston, which is the furtherest (is that really a word?) one can get from the sea in NZ. Most of the drive was showery, but we were hoping that things would clear, as forecast, as we were headed for one of the key birds of our trip, NZ Rock Wren. We checked in at our motel around noon, grabbed lunch to go, and headed up the Eglinton Valley on the road to Milford Sound and Homer Tunnel, surely one of the most spectacular drives in the world. We follow the Eglinton River to its source, then a marvel of road-building takes the road over the ridge and then follows a blasted-out section of road across a 3000-foot cliff to the source of a tributary of another watershed, the Hollyford Valley. This work was done in the 1930s to provide work- several lives were lost in this extremely dangerous operation. We then follow the Hollyford up to Homer Tunnel, also started in the 1930s but not opened until 1959, which pierces solid rock to reach the west side of the spine of the Southern Alps. The scenery is so massive it is hard to get pictures that do justice to the perspective. And because of the rain, water was cascading down the cliff faces all around us. Although this place is great to see in sunny weather, with snowy peaks, it is probably more impressive when soaked. Anyway- The NZ Rock Wren is tiny, a relative of the tiny Rifleman, and nothing like the US Rock Wren, and it lives above the tree line in the South Island in boulder fields. This habitat is accessible by cars only at this one place (Homer Tunnel) in NZ. The Rock Wren must be tough, because it stays there year-round, and when snowed in (literally), forages in the spaces and tunnels under big rocks for insects, hoping that the supply lasts until the snow melts enough to let them out. Unfortunately, they don't like rain, but when we arrived at the tunnel, it was still raining lightly. We decided to wait in the van for a while to see if the rain would let up, and most of us took the opportunity for a nap. Soon some Keas arrived and entertained us for a while, climbing on our van and other vehicles and checking out the rubber bits. The rain finally diminished to a light drizzle, so we thought we'd give the Rock Wren a try. Standard procedure is to spread out along the track into the boulder field and wait until one appears. No luck this time- the birds refused to come out in the miserable conditions. We gave up and headed back down the valley towards Te Anau and tried a bit of bush birding. Came up with the usual few suspects, but no Yellowheads at the two known places we tried that have a few birds. Highlight was a NZ Falcon that Dixie glimpsed briefly while we were on Lake Gunn Nature Trail, then was heard by most of us, and seen again briefly by Dixie as it flew out of the bush. Sav thought it was likely nesting in one of the huge beech trees. Somewhat disheveled, we high-tailed back to the motel (very nice Comfort Inn) and over to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. A large amount and variety of food was served on a lazy susan in the middle of the table. The food was delicious and we decided to walk the couple of blocks back to the motel to let things settle a bit. No new birds today- Rock Wren becomes a key for tomorrow- we are hoping for nice weather. I'm figuring that if we have a couple of good finds on the Stewart Island pelagic and don't miss the expected species, we could reach 172. Amazing. Weather will be the key; the latest forecast is for a gale the day we cross Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island! Could be a wild ride across.

Day 17 (Nov 24, Thursday) Milford Road and Milford Sound.

This was a Thanksgiving to remember, but for far different reasons than usual. To be looking for 2 of New Zealand's iconic birds amidst the incredible beauty of the Milford Sound Road and Milford Sound itself would be hard to surpass, no matter how good the pumpkin pie! We started with the in-room continental breakfast and headed up the road to Milford Sound. We stopped at Homer Tunnel, where finally the skies had cleared and we could hope that Rock Wrens might be out and about. We only had about 45 mins before we had to head for our boat trip on Milford Sound, and were out of luck. Sav and I surmised (rationalized?) that afternoons would be better anyway, as the temps would be warmer, the insects more active, and so would the Rock Wrens. We'd be back after the boat trip! Words can't describe the scenery of Milford Sound. The sheer massiveness of the place, the innumerable waterfalls, and the mile-high Mitre Peak rising sheer out of the water are a poor indication of what one sees, or more accurately, experiences. No matter how many times I go there, it still blows me away. We went out towards the mouth of the sound and finally found a couple of Fiordland Crested Penguins on a large rock. I was able to get a couple of good pics as the boat eased in as close as possible until the birds sauntered off (as only penguins can do) over the back of the rock and out of sight. A great trip tick! We finally arrived back at the dock after the 90-minute cruise out and back in the ferry-like boat and picked up lunch to go (ie eat in the van!) to give us as much time as possible to find a Rock Wren. We spread out along the path, me at the highest point, and after about a half hour I noticed Richard running down the hill and no-one else in sight. Looks like we had one! I ran down too, just in time to see the little bird hop across a few large rocks, cross the trail, and disappear into a jumble of large rocks, right in front of a bewildered tourist. Little did she know what a sought-after bird she had just lucked onto! I was able to get some nice pics of this amazing little bird. Since we had some time (we found the Rock Wren in 1/6 the time it took us for the Blue Duck- a total reversal of the usual situation) we watched for falcon at Knob's Flat without success and decided to head back to Te Anau and relax a bit before dinner. Dinner was at the Fat Duck, fast service and excellent food. I had Pork Belly with kumara and veges, very nice. And a (that is, one!) Speight's Dark. Tomorrow we leave early to get to the Stewart Island ferry at 11 am, although there are 50-knot gale winds in the straight at the moment and the ferry was unable to cross, very unusual for these sea cowboys! We'll see what develops!

Day 18 (Nov 25, Friday) Te Anau, Te Wae Wae Bay, Wakapatu Beach, Daffodil Bay, Sterling Point, Invercargill.

We were in hopes that the gales would abate in time for our scheduled 11 am crossing of Foveaux Strait from Bluff to Stewart Island, and things looked great as we left Te Anau early (6.30 am) planning to stop for breakfast about an hour away at Tuatapere. We were pretty happy to see that there was no wind at Tuatapere, only about 10 miles from the sea. Thinking we were in good shape, Sav checked with the ferry company and was told that all trips for the day were cancelled! We ran through our options, and decided that we'd continue on to Invercargill as planned, and see what developed for the rest of the day and evening. The forecast was for the wind to abate by tomorrow morning. If we could get over to Stewart Island, we would probably get the pelagic in (shortened to a half day) and likely the kiwi trip too. We booked on the 9.30 am next day ferry and made arrangements to stay overnight in Invercargill. Sav's first call to make room bookings was unsuccessful, as the town was full of bikers for a Sturgess-like event, but luckily, a Stewart Island group that had planned to return to the mainland was stuck on Stewart Island and we were able to get their Invercargill rooms. Anyway, we headed off from Tuatapere towards Te Wae Wae Bay, and discovered that it was blowing a gale! Nothing visible at Te Wae Wae Bay, so we went on the Wakapatu Bay, a somewhat regular site for resting Arctic Terns with the large resident group of White-fronted Terns. At least two had been reported and photographed there in the prior few days. The beach was supposedly sheltered, and it was to some extent, but scoping the tern flock was not easy in the strong winds. They were all hunkered down on the beach up against a small rise, but we checked them all carefully and found no Arctics. We went on over to Invercargill with the idea of looking for shorebirds at sheltered spots like Daffodil Bay, but no luck. We couldn't see any roosting flocks at the extensive Riverton Estuary either. We drove down to Sterling Point at Bluff and understood why the ferry had cancelled- the seas in Foveaux Strait were ferocious, with huge breaking swells and much spray and chop. The news said the wind was steady at 95 km/hr and gusting to 130, around 55 mph and 75-80 mph. I don't remember in my lifetime having winds that strong last for 2 days! Not good at all, especially for 40-foot catamaran ferries, but this is indeed the Southern Ocean and the Roaring Forties. We drove back to Invercargill, almost getting blown off the road. The bikers were everywhere- I'm sure that for every one we saw there were 20 more sitting in bars- in this sort of weather what else is there? The wind was screaming- it seemed to have gotten stronger. We checked into our rooms at the Kelvin Hotel downtown (walking distance of shops!) and went over to the very interesting Southland Museum, where there are historic exhibits of the Sub-Antarctic Islands and a breeding area for Tuataras, the dinosaur-like ancient reptiles. The biggest one, Henry, is still there; he was born in the late 19th century on an island in Cook Strait! Back to the hotel room for a bit of a nap until dinner at a nice Thai restaurant and back to the room for the night. The wind seemed to have diminished a bit when we went to dinner, but right now it is really howling. A lady I spoke to today at the museum thought it was supposed to stop around 9 pm. I hope she's right- hate to miss out on Stewart Island!

Day 19 (Nov 26, Saturday) Invercargill, Bluff, Stewart Island.

From despair to elation! This was a very long day, necessitated by losing a day on Stewart Island and squeezing our scheduled activities into a single day! We got the good word on the ferry, and made the crossing after a one-hour delay while waiting for the tide to become more favorable, despite 20-30 mph winds and 10-12 foot swells. Those Foveaux Strait ferry drivers are all about straight lines and speed! We arrived in Oban at noon, dumped our stuff in our rooms at the South Sea Hotel, and immediately boarded Aurora, operated by Captain Ty, and departed at 12.30 pm for the wild blue yonder. Aurora is a great sea-birding boat- a solid 40-foot catamaran built specifically for Stewart Island conditions. What was originally to be a full day's trip became a 5-hour pelagic, so we lost our chance to go south far enough for Antarctic Tern. But---- for a 5-hour pelagic, this turned out to be one of the best ever! We added no fewer than 11 new trip species, I got a lifer, and we are back in the running for a new record at 164 with 5 good possibilities left (including kiwi tonight). The birds were amazing- we had 18 species of tubenoses (true seabirds), including 6 albatrosses, but the highlight of the trip were at least 3 Black-bellied Storm-Petrels, only Sav’s second ever, and, of course, another NZ tick for me. No question I'd rather have a BB Storm-Petrel than an Antarctic Tern- the big winds probably blew the stormies up here, a rare event, whereas one only has to go to the south end of Stewart Island to get Antarctic Terns. Because of our problems getting to Stewart Island of course, our shortened pelagic trip cost us that opportunity. Best birds on the pelagic were of course Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (3), Grey-backed Storm-Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Broad-billed Prion, and Southern Giant-Petrel. On the way back to Oban we found 2 Yellow-eyed Penguins on Bench Island to round out our 3-penguin list. We arrived back in Oban at 6 pm. Dinner was at 7 pm- delicious Stewart Island blue cod- quite possibly the best fish in the world! And of course a couple of Tui beers to celebrate. We re-assembled at the dock at 8.45 pm for the Kiwi Trip with Phillip Smith, as usual. There were two groups, so Phillip took us and his helper the other (Kiwi Wildlife Tours). About halfway along the track to the beach where we usually see the kiwis, Sav whistled and we found that he'd checked behind him and was being followed by a big female kiwi! She was unconcerned about our group and we all got great looks. As is usual with Phillip, we trudged about for another hour trying to find more kiwis, but were out of luck. Still- a great kiwi record for the trip- 4 species seen! We finally made it back to the boat and Phillip navigated us safely the few miles back to Oban in the pitch darkness. We arrived at 12.50 am, and were soon in bed. What an amazing day! A total of 12 new trip birds, putting us at 165 with 4 good possibilities to go, to set a new record at 169.

Day 20 (Nov 27, Sunday) Stewart Island, L Poaka, Glentanner.

After our late kiwi night, we were up early enough to catch the 8 am ferry back across Foveaux Strait to Bluff (the Mainland). The crossing was a bit easier than the previous day, but still an exciting ride across the middle stretch, with 3- meter (10 feet) swells. Basically the hammer is down and we hang on! Saw quite a few birds though- nothing unusual. Lots of White-capped Albies. Arrived in Bluff safely, the van started, and we headed for Invercargill and a hearty breakfast at the Global Bite, a pretty good (ie fast) cafe. It was now around 9.30 am, so the food was welcome- I had a "blighty"- 2 fried eggs, bacon, toast, coffee. Next the long drive north into the interior to the Twizel area. We arrived around 4 pm and went right to Lake Poaka in hopes of a Black Stilt there; this is our last endemic- hate to miss any! No luck at L Poaka, so we made the decision to head for Glentanner, where the bird is pretty certain. We pulled in and right away saw two immature birds on a small pond, and soon after another immature nearby. No black adults around, but we'll have another look at L Poaka tomorrow. Great achievement to see all of the NZ endemics except for 3: Great Spotted Kiwi, which is very tough for a group as it is shy and hard to keep a group totally quiet, Kakapo- off limits to public access, and Orange-fronted Parakeet- only accessible in one location that requires river crossings, not good for a group. Drove back to the motel in Omarama, a nice place, then went for dinner at a large hotel that caters to large numbers of tourists. We were advised to get there ASAP as a group of 64 was soon to arrive! We made it and beat the rush to the buffet. Highlight of the nice buffet was dessert, which we hadn't had at all on the trip. Guess what it was? Pavlova, the traditional NZ special dessert for times like Christmas, birthdays etc. It's a soft meringue with a thin crust covered with whipped cream from real cows and fresh fruit. Very tasty! No calories, either. Yeah, right. We did our species list and realized that we had only one more night as a group. Tomorrow we drive to the Christchurch area, but will stay a bit south of Christchurch in Ashburton. We know about some Cattle Egrets at Lake Ellesmere, so our plan is to find them on the way to the airport for the folks flying out in the afternoon (Johnsons and Klaphakes).

Day 21 (Nov 28, Monday) Omarama, Ruataniwha Wetland, Mt John, Rushbrooks Rd, Ashburton.

Our last day as a group finally arrived. We were hoping to find 3 more species for a new record. After a great bacon and eggs breakfast in Omarama we headed for the Ruataniwha Wetland at the Ohau Delta in hopes of a Marsh or Baillon's Crake, our first of the three target species. Usually very reliable here, often wandering around in the open, we waited around with nothing happening for about an hour, although we heard some calls that we thought were contact calls. Then finally, a sighting! But it was a chick- it counted, but we really wanted to see an adult. Then after a while, finally we had one. The presence of a chick explained all the contact calls we heard. It was hard work, but well worth it (someone has to do it, as they say). Our next target is an introduced bird, Chukar, often released as a game bird for hunters, but there is an established wild population on Mt John near Tekapo. Mt John has an observatory on its top operated by the University of Canterbury and has long been the site for seeing Chukar. We drove up the winding road to the top, where it was quite windy, and checked the lee side with no luck. We went back down a little way to where we could scan some more sheltered areas, and bingo! Clem spotted two birds feeding in a small sheltered area. 168! The record is tied. Now we figured all we had to do to break the record was to drive to a place where Cattle Egrets have been hanging out- Rushbrooks Rd, in a dairying area just west of Lake Ellesmere near Doyleston. But- no luck. We checked around a little bit, but finally admitted defeat. Cattle Egrets leave for Australia usually before now, so it would have been a good sighting if they'd stayed this long. They were there about a week ago still, but must have known we were coming. Oh well, we'll try for a new shorebird tomorrow on our way to the Christchurch Airport- we're staying in Ashburton, about an hour from the airport, so plenty of time for a look around in the Embankment Rd area at Lake Ellesmere. Note: we found 2 Curlew Sandpipers, for a 22-day tally of 169.

Annotated Trip List

001. Apteryx mantelli North Island Brown Kiwi: 8 heard, 1 seen Trounson Kauri Park.
002. A. australis Southern Brown Kiwi (Southern Tokoeka): 1 seen Ocean Beach, Stewart Island.
003. A. rowi Okarito Brown Kiwi (Rowi): pair seen and heard Okarito Forest.
004. A. owenii Little Spotted Kiwi: 12 heard, 3 seen, Tiritiri Matangi I.
005. Dendrocygna eatoni Plumed Whistling-Duck: 3 at Anderson Park, Taradale.
006. Anser anser Feral (Graylag) Goose: widespread.
007. Branta canadensis Canada Goose: widespread, but mostly South I.
008. Cereopsis novaehollandiae Cape Barren Goose: 3 at St. Anne's Lagoon.
009. Cygnus olor Mute Swan: 6 at L Pohue, Hawkes Bay.
010. C. atratus Black Swan: widespread.
011. Tadorna variegata Paradise Shelduck: widespread.
012. Hymenolaimus malacorhynchus Blue Duck: 6 on Manganuioteao R.
013. Anas platyrhynchos Mallard: widespread, but most are hybrids and back-crosses with Pacific Black Duck.
014. A. superciliosa Pacific Black Duck: phenotypic Pacific Black Ducks scarce and localized.
015. A. rhynchotis Australasian Shoveler: widespread in small numbers.
016. A. chlorotis Brown Teal: 23 at Tawharanui, 9 on Tiritiri Matangi I.
017. A. gracilis Grey Teal: widespread.
018. Aythya novaeseelandiae New Zealand Scaup: widespread.
019. Callipepla californica California Quail: widespread.
020. Meleagris gallopavo Wild Turkey: widespread open farmland, most North I.
021. Alectoris chukar Chukar: 2 on southwest slope Mt. John.
022. Coturnix ypsilophora Brown Quail: 8 on Tiritiri Matangi I.
023. Gallus gallus Feral Chicken: NZ listers count population near Warkworth.
024. Phasianus colchicus Common (Ring-necked) Pheasant: widespread.
025. Pavo cristatus Indian Peafowl: Kawau Island and central North Island.
026. Eudyptes pachyrhynchus Fiordland Penguin: 6 on Milford Sound, 2 on Bench I, off Stewart I.
027. Megadyptes antipodes Yellow-eyed Penguin: 2 on Bench Island north of Oban.
028. Eudyptula minor Little Penguin: widespread; 2 subspecies by range.
029: Diomedea chionoptera Wandering (Snowy) Albatross: 2 off Kaikoura.
030. D. antipodensis antipodensis, T. a. gibsoni New Zealand Albatross: 20 Gibson's, 2 Antipodean listed by Gary Melville (skipper) off Kaikoura, 1 off Stewart I.
031. D. epomophora Southern Royal Albatross: 1 off Kaikoura, 5 off Stewart I.
032. D. sanfordi Northern Royal Albatross: 3 Cook Strait, 1 off Kaikoura.
033. Thalassarche melanophris Black-browed Albatross: 1 off Stewart I.
034. T. impavida Campbell Albatross: 1 off Stewart I.
035. T. cauta steadi White-capped Albatross: seen all pelagic trips; 20 Cook Strait, 26 off Knight's Point (West Coast), est 200 Stewart I.
036. T. salvini Salvin's Albatross: seen most pelagic trips; total 43.
037. T. bulleri Buller's Albatross: one off Stewart I.
038. Garrodia nereis Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 3 off Stewart I.
039. Pelagodroma marina White-faced Storm-Petrel: common Hauraki Gulf and off Whitianga; 3 Cook Strait.
040. Pealeornis maoriana New Zealand Storm-Petrel: 4 in Hauraki Gulf.
041. Macronectes giganteus Antarctic (Southern) Giant-Petrel: one off Stewart I.
042. M. halli Hall's (Northern) Giant-Petrel: one or a few most pelagic trips; 30 off Kaikoura.
043. Daption capense Cape Petrel: widespread Kaikoura southward, but 1 in Hauraki Gulf. All capense.
044. Puffinus bulleri Buller's Shearwater: common Hauraki Gulf, a few off Whitianga, none elsewhere.
045. P. carneipes Flesh-footed Shearwater: Common Hauraki Gulf, Whitianga, 3 Cook Strait.
046. P. griseus Sooty Shearwater: only a few north, but common Foveaux Strait.
047. P. tenuirostris Short-tailed Shearwater: 4 Hauraki Gulf, one Whitianga, 5 Kaikoura.
048. P. gavia Fluttering Shearwater: abundant Hauraki Gulf, Whitianga, Queen Charlotte Sound. One off Kaikoura.
049. P. huttoni Hutton's Shearwater: many from shore but only one on pelagic at Kaikoura.
050. P. assimilis Little Shearwater: 11 Hauraki Gulf, 2 Whitianga.
051. Procellaria aequinoctialis White-chinned Petrel: 3 Cook Strait, 10 off Kaikoura, several off Stewart I.
052. P. parkinsoni Black (Parkinson's) Petrel: 3 Hauraki Gulf.
053. P. westlandica Westland Petrel: numerous Kaikoura.
054. Pachyptila vittata Broad-billed Prion: 5 off Stewart I.
055. P. turtur Fairy Prion: abundant (est 50,000) Hauraki Gulf, a few seen most pelagic trips.
056. P. inexpectata Mottled Petrel: 4 off Stewart I.
057. P. cookii Cook's Petrel: 1000 Hauraki Gulf, 200 Whitianga, 1 off Stewart I.
058. P. pycrofti Pycroft's Petrel: 20+ off Whitianga; many intermediate birds unidentifiable.
059. P. macroptera Great-winged (Grey-faced) Petrel: 2 off Whitianga, 1 off Kaikoura.
060. Pelecanoides urinatrix Common Diving-Petrel: Common throughout.
061. Morus serrator Australasian Gannet: Common in north, none south of Marlborough Sounds.
062. Phalacrocorax melanoleucos Little Pied Cormorant: widespread.
063. P. varius Pied Cormorant: widespread around coasts.
064. P. sulcirostris Little Black Cormorant: North I only, widespread in low numbers.
065. P. carbo Great Cormorant: widespread.
066. Leucosticte carunculatus Rough-faced (King) Shag: 6 Queen Charlotte Sound.
067. L. chalconotus Stewart Island Shag: common Foveaux Strait area.
068. Stictocarbo punctatus Spotted Shag: 2 Wellington Harbor; common Marlborough Sounds, West Coast.
069. Tachybaptus novaehollandiae Australasian Little Grebe: 2 at Ormiston Rd pond near Waipu.
070. Poliocephalus rufopectus New Zealand Grebe (Dabchick): North I only; fairly common on lakes.
071. Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe: 2 at Lake Pearson, scattered elsewhere South Island lakes.
072. Platalea regia Royal Spoonbill: widespread at estuaries in low numbers.
073. Egretta alba Great Egret (White Heron): 1 at Mangawhai, 2 Okarito Lagoon.
074. E. sacra Pacific Reef-Egret: Singles at Wenderholm, Sandspit, and Waikawa Bay, Marlborough Sounds.
075. E. novaehollandiae White-faced Heron: common and widespread.
076. E, garzetta Little Egret: one at Haumoana Lagoon, Hawks Bay.
077. Botaurus poiciloptilus Australasian Bittern: 3 at Whangamarino Swamp, one heard Ruataniwha Wetlands.
078. Milvus migrans Black Kite: one at Waihopai Valley Road.
079. Circus approximans Swamp Harrier: widespread.
080. Falco novaezeelandiae New Zealand Falcon: one only: near Pureora.
081. Gallirallus australis Weka: 2 on Kawau I, fairly common West Coast.
082. G. philippensis Buff-banded Rail: 3 at Tawharanui, 1 Sandspit.
083. Porzana pusilla Baillon's (Marsh) Crake: adult and chick at Ruataniwha Wetland, Ohau Delta.
084. P. tabuensis Spotless Crake: one at Wharf Pond, Tiritiri Matangi I.
085. Porphyrio porphyrio Purple Swamphen: widespread.
086. P. hochstetteri South Island Takahe: 2+ Tiritiri Matangi I.
087. Fulica atra Common Coot: L Taupo near Turangi, St Anne's Lagoon, Te Anau.
088. Haematopus finschi South Island Pied Oystercatcher: widespread, at estuaries North and South I. and inland South I.br> 089. H. unicolor Variable Oystercatcher: widespread at estuaries and on beaches.
090. Himantopus leucocephalus White-headed (Pied) Stilt: widespread.
091. H. novaezelandiae Black Stilt: 3 immatures at Glentanner.
092. Pluvialis fulva Pacific Golden-Plover: 3 Manawatu Estuary.
093. Charadrius bicinctus Double-banded Plover: widespread at estuaries and riverbeds.
094. C. (=Anarhynchus) frontalis Wrybill: 20 at Miranda, 1 at Manawatu Estuary.
095. C. obscurus Red-breasted (New Zealand) Plover: 23 from Waipu Estuary south to Miranda.
096. Thinornis novaeseelandiae Shore Plover: banded pair at Plimmerton.
097. Elseyornis melanops Black-fronted Dotterel: 2 at Mangere, 3 at Ahuriri Est, Hawkes Bay.
098. Vanellus miles Masked Lapwing: widespread.
099. L. lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit: widespread.
100. Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper: 1 at Miranda.
101. Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone: a few at each estuary and at Kaikoura.
102. Calidris canutus Red Knot: common at North I. estuaries.
103. C. ruficollis Red-necked Stint: 1 at Miranda.
104. C. acuminata Sharp-tailed Sandpiper: total 9, present all eastuaries.
C. ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper: 2 at Embankment Rd- Day 22, not included in trip total.
105. Catharacta antarctica Brown Skua: 6 Foveaux Strait.
106. Stercorarius parasiticus Parasitic Jaeger: fairly common around North I. and in Marlborough Sounds.
107. Larus dominicanus Kelp Gull: widespread.
108. L. scopulinus Red-billed Gull: widespread.
109. L. bulleri Black-billed Gull: widespread, including colony at Miranda; common inland South I.
110. Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern: 2 Miranda.
111. Sterna caspia Caspian Tern: widespread in small numbers.
112. S. striata White-fronted Tern: widespread.
113. S. albifrons Little Tern: 1 at Mangawhai.
114. S. nereis Fairy Tern: 4 at Waipu Estuary, 3 at Mangawhai Estuary.
115. S. albostriatus Black-fronted Tern: fairly good numbers, inland South I. riverbeds; 50 Twizel area.
116. Columba livia Rock Pigeon: widespread; often away from human habitation.
117. Streptopelia roseogrisea Barbary (African Collared-) Dove: abundant in north Orewa at Orewa House.
118. Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove: 6 at Puketutu I., Mangere; a few elsewhere in north, south to Miranda.
119. Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae New Zealand Pigeon: widespread.
120. Cacatua galerita Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: 6 at Cascades Kauri Park.
121. Nestor notabilis Kea: Arthur's Pass, Homer Tunnel; total 15+.
122. N. meridionalis Kaka: 5 at Pureora. Several South I. and common at Oban.
123. Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae Red-crowned Parakeet: Common Tiritiri Matangi I.
124. C. auriceps Yellow-crowned Parakeet: a few at Pureora, Motuara I, Fiordland.
125. Platycercus eximius Eastern Rosella: common northern North I.
126. Chrysococcyx lucidus Shining Bronze-Cuckoo: widespread, but hard to see well.
127. Urodynamis taitensis Long-tailed Cuckoo: one well-seen at Pureora.
128. Athene noctua Little Owl: Only sighting near Kaikoura.
129. Ninox novaeseelandiae Morepork: heard whenever we were out after dark.
130. Dacelo novaeguineae Laughing Kookaburra: 2 at Whangaripo Rd near Mangawhai and 2 at Matakana Rd near Warkworth.
131. Halcyon sanctus Sacred Kingfisher: widespread northern North I, 50+ first 2 days, fewer elsewhere.
132. Acanthisitta chloris Rifleman: 2 Tiritiri Matangi I, 2 Pureora; widespread South I. beech forests.
133. Xenicus gilviventris New Zealand Rock Wren: one well seen at Homer Tunnel.
134. Notiomystis cincta Stitchbird (Hihi): common at Tiritiri Matangi I.
135. Anthornis melanura New Zealand Bellbird: common at Tiritiri Matangi I. and from Pureora south through South I.
136. Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae Tui: widespread except for southern North I. and northeastern South I., where none seen.
137. Gerygone igata Grey Gerygone (Warbler): widespread.
138. Callaeas cinereus Kokako: 6+ on Tiritiri Matangi I.
139. Philesturnus carunculatus South Island Saddleback: 2 on Motuara I.
140. P. rufasater North Island Saddleback: Common Tiritiri Matangi I.
141. Gymnorhina tibicen Australasian Magpie: widespread.
142. Mohoua ochrocephala Mohua (Yellowhead): 2 at Haast Pass. We did not visit Ulva I due to weather delay.
143. M. albicilla Whitehead: common Tiritiri Matangi I., a few at Pureora.
144. M. novaeseelandiae Pipipi (Brown Creeper): widespread South I.
145. Rhipidura fuliginosa New Zealand Fantail: widespread North and South Is.
146. Corvus frugilegus Rook: 15+ between Taupo and Napier in 3 locations.
147. Petroica macrocephala New Zealand Tomtit: widespread in low numbers North and South Is.
148. P. australis South Island Robin: widespread South I.
149. P. longipes North Island Robin: common Tiritiri Matangi I., Pureora.
150. Hirundo neoxena Welcome Swallow: widespread North I. and South I., numbers lower towards south.
151. Alauda arvensis Sky Lark: widespread.
152. Bowdleria punctata Fernbird: 5 Tiritiri Matangi I., 15 Frethey Drive, Turangi, one near Okarito.
153. Zosterops lateralis Silver-eye: widespread.
154. Acridotheres tristis Common Myna: widespread North I.; southernmost near Wellington.
155. Sturnus vulgaris Common (European) Starling: widespread.
156. Turdus merula Eurasian Blackbird: widespread.
157. T. philomelos Song Thrush: widespread, most common in north.
158. Passer domesticus House Sparrow: widespread.
159. Prunella modularis Dunnock: widespread, but in low numbers northward.
160. Anthus novaeseelandiae New Zealand Pipit: widespread North and South Is., but somewhat localized by preferred habitat.
161. Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch: widespread.
162. Carduelis chloris European Greenfinch: widespread North and South Is.
163. C. carduelis Eurasian Goldfinch: widespread.
164. C. flammea Common Redpoll: widespread, especially to south.
165. Emberiza citrinella Yellowhammer: widespread North and South Is.
166. E. cirlus Cirl Bunting: male at Kaikoura.