TRIP REPORT: NEW ZEALAND CUSTOM TOUR

DATES: 31 DECEMBER 2010 – 13 JANUARY 2011

GUIDE AND PHOTOGRAPHS: NICK LESEBERG

My first trip for the year was to New Zealand, land of the hobbits, and it is one I can’t wait to repeat; for a combination of great birding and incredible scenery, New Zealand is one of the ultimate destinations. This particular trip was designed to be easy going, and focussed particularly on the endemic birds of this island nation. With only two weeks it was difficult to fit everything in around these requirements, but we still managed a fine effort, cleaning up on the endemics that we targeted, and enjoying a relaxed pace for the whole two weeks.

We explored both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, also spending a couple of days on Stewart Island off the far southern tip. The trip highlights were many and varied, and didn’t just include birds. We enjoyed Fox Glacier, the impressive drives up to Arthur’s Pass and through the Eglinton Valley, and an amazing cruise around Milford Sound, where hundreds of waterfalls poured off the cliffs steepling above us.

But, the birds still stole the show. A friendly Southern Brown Kiwi foraging on the beach was classic New Zealand, while other highlights included Yellow-eyed Penguins waddling down the beach for their day at sea, and the boisterous antics of the endemic New Zealand Kaka. One of the undoubted highlights of any trip to New Zealand is the seabirds, and nowhere else are pelagic seabirds as accessible as they are here. During two pelagic boat trips and a couple of ferry rides, we racked up an incredible 25 species of seabird, so if seabirding floats your boat (terrible pun intended), put New Zealand on your to do list!

The enormous Wandering Albatross, and its 3.6 metre wingspan - that’s nearly 5 yards!

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Note – The common names used by Clements for many New Zealand birds differs quite markedly from the common names that are in wide usage within New Zealand, and particularly in the popular field guides. I have used the Clements names in this report, but at their first mention have included the more commonly used names in brackets to help avoid confusion. Clements is also conservative regarding the taxonomy of New Zealand birds when compared to some other authors, something to keep in mind when comparing lists from other trips. A good example is the New Zealand Robin which is sometimes split into three species. Although we saw all three Clements groups/subspecies, they are all recorded here as just New Zealand Robin.

Day 1 – Friday, 31 December 2010

Our trip began in the far south of New Zealand’s South Island, in the harbour city of Dunedin. After meeting at the airport we decided to head down the coast towards The Catlins, one of the last large areas of forest in this part of New Zealand. We made our first stop at Nugget Point, a rocky headland which juts out into the Southern Ocean, and which provides a good opportunity to get a handle on some of the common seabirds we would see throughout the trip.

As we approached the coast we saw our first Swamp Harriers; in New Zealand it seems that you are rarely out of sight of one of these majestic raptors. We picked up our first Red- billed and Kelp (Black-backed) Gulls (not the Black-backed Gulls U.S birders are familiar with) before arriving at the point and commencing the walk out. We soon had our first introduced passerines, a feature of New Zealand’s open areas, as we added Dunnock, Yellowhammer and Common Redpoll to the list. From the towering cliffs we looked down at a Royal Spoonbill colony, with about twenty birds nesting on a nearby rock stack.

Birds passing by included our first Spotted Shags, an endemic cormorant which is common in most coastal areas, and on the rocks below there was a colony of New Zealand Fur-Seals. With breeding season in The view south along the Catlins coast full swing, we watched the antics of many tiny from Nugget Point. pups flopping around and play-fighting with

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each other. As we moved out towards the lighthouse on the end of the point some large seabirds circling behind a fishing boat drew our attention, and we were able to pick out our first distant White-capped Albatross. Not very satisfying views, but not to worry, we would see these guys within metres in a couple of days.

Red-billed Gulls (above) are a common coastal bird, and from Nugget Point we were able to see a breeding colony, continually being harassed by predatory Kelp Gulls.

From the end of the point we were able to observe a breeding colony of Red-billed Gulls, and another of White-fronted Terns. On a distant stack we could also see a group of another endemic, the Bronze (Stewart Island) Shag. Watching the activity here was interesting, with terns and gulls coming and going to their nests, while marauding Kelp Gulls circled overhead. A commotion in the middle of the Red-billed Gull colony revealed one of these Kelp Gulls flying off with a small chick in its bill, while the Red-billed Gulls chased in vain.

After soaking up our fill of the beautiful views north and south along the coast, we decided to move on to the Catlins Forest Park. We stopped for lunch before birding the forest and coming to grips with our first woodland birds. Although the wind had picked up, at ground level things were still calm and the birds moving around. Our first sighting was a small foraging party of the endemic Pipipi (Brown Creeper), which remained quite high up in the canopy. Moving along we picked up some of the more common birds like Silvereye and also our first of the two endemic honeyeaters, New Zealand Bellbird. We then hit a small mixed flock, with the first bird to reveal itself a delightful little Tomtit. These small black-and-white

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robins are quite common throughout New Zealand, and are very photogenic. They are extremely responsive to pishing, coming in closely to investigate, and although their preferred habitat is often quite dark, with persistence we managed some good photos.

A continuous high-pitched contact call drew our attention to the next target bird, the tiny little Rifleman. These diminutive birds behave like nuthatches as they forage up and down tree trunks and along branches. They are often high up, and being so small (only a few inches long) they are very difficult to find. It took us quite some searching before we found a couple of these birds foraging low down, and managed to get prolonged views of this fantastic little bird. After watching the Rifleman (is the plural Riflemen?) we started our return to the car, picking up one more new bird on the way. The impressive New Zealand Pigeon is quite common in the forested areas of New Zealand, and we startled a very friendly pair off the side of the track which didn’t move far and gave us great looks. On that note we decided to call it a day and head back to Dunedin, our base for the The always inquisitive Tomtit can be seen in most night. It was to be an early start in the forested areas throughout New Zealand. morning, so we were happy to have an early finish.

Day 2 – Saturday, 1 January 2011

A new day, a new year, and what better way to kick things off than with a new bird? We were up early this morning to get out to Aramoana where we were hoping to catch some Yellow-eyed Penguins on their way out fishing for the day. Although among the rarest penguins in the world, there are several accessible colonies scattered along the south-east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The birds return to shore every night to roost in thick vegetation behind the beach, where they also breed, so an early morning or late evening trip to see these birds at one of these beaches will generally be successful. As we arrived at the beach it was clearly going to be a beautiful day, but unfortunately the bright sunshine

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meant the penguins were up early as well. We got to the beach just in time to see four Yellow-eyed Penguins disappear into the surf and join a group of about seven birds loafing just beyond the breakers.

We sat down to wait for any stragglers, which gave us an opportunity to see what else was around. There was a pair of endemic Variable Oystercatchers feeding along the beach, with two well grown chicks in tow, while Kelp Gulls and Red-billed Gulls were floating around. We watched in amusement as another oystercatcher flew past the beach, only for the resident pair to immediately commence a threat display accompanied by much calling. The visitor knew he wasn’t welcome and aborted his landing to press on for friendlier territory. Shortly after we saw a head poke out from the vegetation at the back of the beach, and as we kept still, another Yellow-eyed Penguin started to wander down towards the surf. This one wasn’t so sure, and after turning around a few metres into his dash, decided to press on. We watched in amusement as he waddled awkwardly as quickly as he could (which was not that quickly) to the surf. Once he hit the water though it was a different story; suddenly in his element he porpoised gracefully out through the breakers to join his mates.

This pair of Variable Oystercatchers, their red bills glowing in the morning sun, were vigorously defending their stretch of beach and two well-developed chicks.

Leaving the beach, we made two more stops nearby. From the north side of Otago Harbour, we had a good view across to Taiaroa Head on the south side. On this headland is the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross, and with the telescope we could see several pairs scattered across the steep northern bank. We didn’t loiter for long, as we were hoping

www.tropicalbirding.com Page 5 of 47 for closer views of these impressive birds on our pelagic trip tomorrow. Our next stop was a small area of mudflats, where we picked up a few common waders. The first was Island Oystercatcher, another endemic we would see plenty of weeks. We also got Paradise Shelducks the mudflats with several Pied Stilts hit the road north towards Christchurch.

About an hour north of Dunedin we made a stop at the Katiki Point lighthouse nea Moeraki. While not expecting photography, as many of the birds are quite used to people and all approach. It is also the location of another Yellow to get one or two out in the open. As we strolled down the slope in the bright sunshine we were immediately rewarded with a fluffy brown chick. They were surprisingly out in the open, seemed quite unperturbed by our presence only a few metres away. The furious clicking of shutters for several minutes didn’t bother t

This adult Yellow-eyed Penguin and its chick were enjoying the bright sunshine together at Katiki Point. They were about a metre apart, but we were so close I couldn’t get them both in frame on my camera without the f

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We continued out the point, stopping along the way to watch and photograph more Red-billed Gulls and White-fronted Terns, before getting a surprise as we saw a head peering out from what I’d assumed were rabbit burrows. This head belonged to a Little Penguin though! We found several resting in nearby burrows, perhaps sunning themselves at the entrance. Other sightings included nice ‘scope views of Spotted Shags, while Bronze Shags flew past and some New Zealand Fur-Seal pups played and fought in the rock pools. We spent a very enjoyable hour here, relishing a great wildlife experience before time pressed and we had to move on.

Continuing north along the coast there weren’t many stops for birds as we moved through the rural The endemic Spotted Shag is a common bird, right landscape. We eventually arrived at around the New Zealand coastline. Lake Ellesmere, just south of Christchurch, a large shallow lake where we hoped to find a few waders to add to our list. We crossed the open grasslands to the lake shore, flushing several Eurasian Skylarks on the way. From the water’s edge we could see thousands of ducks out on the lake, but the heat haze made identification quite difficult. Only the Black Swans stood out.

We inspected the edge of the lake closely, and we soon found our target bird, a lone Wrybill. Moving closer though, we were rewarded as a party of about eight birds came into view, all foraging on the exposed mud. The Wrybill is quite a plain bird really, except for one amazing feature - its bill is bent to the side. It is the only bird in the world (I’m told) with a laterally assymetrical bill, and with the ‘scope we were able to pick up on this feature while also watching the bird use its bill to feed. They spent a lot of time holding their heads tilted to the left, and sifting through the surface mud. After soaking up the Wrybills we headed towards Christchurch, making a couple of brief stops to pad our list with some of the introductions we hadn’t ticked yet, including European Greenfinch and European Goldfinch.

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Following that it was in to Christchurch, where we celebrated a great start to the New Year with a fantastic pub dinner and some beers.

Day 3 – Sunday, 2 January 2011

We enjoyed a latish start today, as our only commitment for the day was to make it to Kaikoura, a couple of hours up the coast for one of the highlights of the trip, the Kaikoura Pelagic. Prior to any boat trip, my attention always turns to the weather, as it can make or break the day. It can also be a little counter-intuitive. While a nice day with no wind makes for very pleasant conditions aboard the boat, it is not so good for seabirds. They rely on the wind to carry the smell of food across the ocean, and also to get airborne and cruise around in search of that food. So, you pray for a little wind, but not so much that it makes the trip too uncomfortable and seasickness an issue. As we departed Christchurch in the morning, we tuned in to the weather forecast, and fortunately things were looking good, almost perfect: high cloud with a little breeze, A magnificent Wandering Albatross glides in front although there was the threat of a of the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges, all part of the southerly change arriving later in the amazing Kaikoura Pelagic experience. day.

On our way to Kaikoura we made a stop at St Anne’s Lagoon, to pick up a few ducks that we needed. We didn’t even have to get out of the car to add a couple of birds to the trip list, as a small dam on the entrance road held a couple of Purple Swamphens (Pukekos), a pair of Pacific Black (Grey) Ducks, and a lone Australasian Shoveler. Moving up to the main lagoon we picked up Black Swan, Grey Teal and our target, New Zealand Scaup, another endemic. Circling the lagoon we were able to get great views of all these birds, and also pick up a bonus as we spied a group of Cape Barren Geese, an Australian bird which has established a small population here. www.tropicalbirding.com Page 8 of 47

Leaving the lagoon we continued to Kaikoura, arriving for a fantastic little seafood lunch, before checking in for our one o’clock trip. This pelagic has to be one of the great birdwatching experiences in New Zealand, all because of a fortunate geological circumstance; the continental shelf here at Kaikoura is only a mile or so off the coast. At the edge of the continental shelf, deep water currents create upwellings which bring nutrient rich water to the surface. This makes it a focal point for marine activity. The nutrients attract the small fish, which attract the big fish, which attract the bigger fish, which attracts all those things that eat any sort of fish, including seabirds. As we cruised out in our boat with the magnificent backdrop of the Seaward Kaikoura Range behind us, we were salivating at the possibilities ahead over the next few hours.

Within minutes we had picked up our first new birds, as we came across several rafts of Hutton’s Shearwaters. These birds gather here during the summer months to breed in remote areas of the nearby mountain ranges; their breeding grounds weren’t even discovered until 1965. As we continued out we soon attracted our first albatross, as a mighty Wandering Albatross started to follow the boat, perhaps hoping for a free feed. After about ten minutes we stopped and our skipper Garry got the chum ready, a disgusting mixture of fish offcuts and offal, which is evidently irresistible to seabirds. Within minutes we had attracted three Wandering Albatross, including both gibsoni and antipodensis subspecies. They were joined by a bunch of Northern Giant- Petrels who all settled on the water to try and pick up the scraps, while several White-capped and one Salvin’s Albatross A graceful Buller’s Shearwater arcs above the also landed nearby. swell.

Our attention then turned to those seabirds which started to drift in and check out the action. We soon had several Buller’s Shearwaters circling the boat, and a collection of large dark petrels. With care we were able to separate White-chinned and Westland Petrels, as well as a few Flesh-footed Shearwaters. We got a quick flypast from a Sooty Shearwater, before a Great-winged Petrel meandered in, made a quick circuit of the boat, then disappeared. Another albatross on the horizon started to work its way in, and when it was

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close enough to make out the all dark wings we had completed the great albatross quinella, with a magnificent Royal Albatross. It was soon joined by a second bird, both of the northern race, sanfordi. Our next tick was an unexpected one, as a 2 metre long Blue Shark suddenly appeared at the back of the boat. Surprisingly the birds didn’t seem in the least concerned by it, as it also tried to score a free feed.

After about 30 minutes we decided to push out a little further, so we pulled in the chum and motored off, with most of the birds we had already attracted following us. At our next stop conditions were noticeably bumpier, with the swell picking up a bit, and Garry hearing on the radio that boats further south were getting increased winds and swell also. Still, we threw in the chum and soon had even more birds crowding the back of the boat. We picked up another new one as a pair of small Fairy Prions came in to the slick we had left, and then another Royal Albatross arrived, this time of the southern subspecies, epomophora. With albatross taxonomy in a state of flux, it is entirely possible that our day list of four albatrosses will soon A snow white Royal Albatross joins the back of become six, as the Wandering and the boat. Note the black wings and the dark cutting edge to the bill. Royal Albatross subspecies are split out.

Unfortunately at this point the wind started to pick up quite rapidly, as the southerly change started to come through. Our skipper Garry decided that we had best head closer to shore, but it soon became apparent that we wouldn’t be able to stay out any longer than we had already. We pitched the chum overboard and watched the remaining birds, including a newly arrived Cape Petrel demolish it, before heading back to the harbour. It was a quick trip with a distant pod of Dusky Dolphins being seen by some, but the deteriorating conditions meant we couldn’t hang around. It was disappointing to have to finish early, but we had still seen all the birds we expected, and the trip was definitely a success. After making it back to the harbour we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon tea, before taking the opportunity to look around Kaikoura and take some photos of the very scenic surrounds. We then called curtains, and made the uneventful drive back to Christchurch to finish the day.

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We saw both White-capped (top) and Salvin’s Albatross (bottom) on the Kaikoura pelagic. Along with one other species, they were formerly lumped as Shy Albatross, but although the body plumage on all birds is the same, head patterns are different. Salvin’s Albatross has a prominent grey hood, unlike the White-capped.

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In spite of the name, the White-chinned Petrel (top) often doesn’t have an especially obvious white chin, making it difficult to separate from the very similar Westland Petrel (bottom). The black patterning on the bill of Westland Petrel is a good feature to use at close range. We saw several of each off Kaikoura

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Day 4 – Monday, 5 January 2011

After a long day yesterday we had a latish start, and decided to chase up a report of the rare and endemic Black Stilt at an estuary near Christchurch. With the weather from yesterday well and truly gone, things looked glorious, with a beautiful sunny day greeting us as we packed up the car. On arrival at the Ashley Estuary we immediately gave our list a kick, with a pair of Sacred Kingfishers foraging along the river, while Bar-tailed Godwits, and a few Wrybills worked the mudflats. On an exposed sandbar in the middle of the estuary we watched a small colony of White-fronted Terns, with a few Black-billed Gulls scattered throughout, another endemic added to the list. We scanned the estuary and were able to pick out several Pied Stilts, and Double-banded Plovers, before a pair of Black-fronted Terns worked their way down the river. We had good looks at this elegant bird, but after a final fruitless search for the Black Stilt had to call it quits and move on.

We returned to Christchurch before heading west towards the Southern Alps, the range which runs down the spine of the South Island. One of the most scenic drives of the trip, we would be climbing them today as we headed to Arthur’s Pass, and then across to the west coast. As we approached the mountains we could see quite a bit of threatening cloud, and it looked like our fortunate run with the weather was going to come to an end. Crossing the enormous valleys with mountains steepling overhead, it was easy to imagine we were stepping into a Lord of the Rings set. Still, we kept our eyes peeled for any birds which might cross our path.

We stopped briefly for lunch as we entered the beech forest which covers many of the mountains up here, and unfortunately experienced This Wrybill is still in breeding plumage – note the our first drops of rain. As we ate black breast band. You can see the ’wry’ bill, which lunch in a little shelter we were still apparently always bends to the right. able to watch another inquisitive Tomtit, and more New Zealand www.tropicalbirding.com Page 13 of 47

Bellbirds, before leaving to continue to the top of the range. Arriving in Arthur’s Pass the rain became more persistent, but this didn’t stop us getting our next new bird, a small party of very boisterous Keas. These endemic parrots are alpine specialists, and here they have learnt where an easy feed comes from; it is not uncommon to see them making a mess of the rubbish bins, or pressing unsuspecting tourists for a handout!

Leaving the Keas behind, we commenced our descent off the range and also our search for another elusive endemic, the Blue Duck. This duck is one of only a few torrent specialists in the world, and with luck can be found in the fast running rivers on the slopes of the South Island. They are notoriously difficult here though, and often require a lot of searching to turn up the isolated pairs which live along these wild waterways. The upper Otira River is a good spot for them though, so at our first opportunity we were out in the rain to inspect a fast flowing section of river. Unfortunately all we ended up with was wet boots and drenched raincoats, so at the next section I was responsible for the search, in an effort to keep everyone relatively dry. More luck this time, as within a minute of getting out of the car I had found a lone Blue Duck, resting on a rock right in the middle of the stream!

One of my favourite photos from the trip, this very obliging Blue Duck let us snap away for at least ten minutes, apparently unconcerned at our presence.

Running back to the car, arms waving wildly, we were soon all lined up watching this absolutely cracking bird, before it launched itself into the stream and started foraging in the torrent, working its way upstream. It seemed completely oblivious to our presence and we were able to rattle off some amazing photos of an amazing bird. The beautiful slate blue www.tropicalbirding.com Page 14 of 47 plumage camouflaged it perfectly against the stony background, and when it left the water we could see the enormous feet which it uses to propel itself through the fast running water. Definitely one of the trip highlights.

The Blue Duck again, this time working its way dexterously up the swiftly flowing stream.

With the duck in the bag we continued the spectacular descent of the range into Westland, one of the truly wild areas of New Zealand. Here, the wild rivers still run fast and free, and the moss-draped rainforest covers the mountain slopes. As the moist air blows in off the Tasman Sea, it hits these mountains and rises, causing the incredible amounts of rain which sustain this wild country. Unfortunately for us, this rain was well established today, and as we hit the coast and turned south it didn’t look like abating. Still, as we continued we were able to pick out a few more birds. New Zealand Pigeons were common in the forest, and every open area seemed to have a resident Swamp Harrier. There were plenty of South Island Oystercatchers and Paradise Shelducks in the fields, and we also picked up another pair of Cape Barren Geese on a roadside dam, and a Great Egret (White Heron).

As we arrived at our overnight stop of Franz Josef, the rain was still persistent. Unfortunately this meant that our night time excursion to find the Okarito Brown Kiwi had to be cancelled. Any search for these birds in the forest relies mainly on sound as you try to hear them foraging in the undergrowth. With the constant sound of rain it is nearly impossible to locate them, so we had an early dinner and decided to turn in early, allowing us an early start in the morning.

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Day 5 – Tuesday, 4 January 2011

Making use of our early night, we were up this morning and on our way to the nearby town of Okarito to try and snare a few new birds for our list. Our first stop was at a short walk through some swamp and forest, where our target was the endemic Fernbird. It was a cool and overcast morning, so conditions for birding were very pleasant, and we hadn’t been out of the car long before we had picked up Pipipi (Brown Creeper), Tomtit, Grey Gerygone (Warbler) and Silvereye. As we looked out over the extensive swampy grassland we could see many Common Redpoll, and they diverted our attention from a very friendly visitor, a curious New Zealand Robin which arrived to search for insects along the edge of the track. We were able to watch this great little bird for several minutes – This New Zealand Robin was so friendly, he was unfortunately it was too close most usually too close to focus on! of the time for our cameras to focus on!

We continued along the trail and entered a section of forest where we encountered some New Zealand Bellbirds, and then our first New Zealand Fantails of the trip. These very charismatic little birds are always active, twisting from side to side, fanning their white tails and generally never sitting still. We watched a small party of three chasing each other through the trees, and in spite of the activity still managed a few reasonable photos of this very cute bird. Leaving the forest we searched the edge of the swamp again, before hearing the distinctive insect like call of a Fernbird off the track. Unfortunately it was proving to be very shy and after ten minutes hadn’t revealed itself, so we moved around the track and closer to the call. It took some searching, but eventually we picked up a pair of cryptically coloured Fernbirds foraging low down in the dense undergrowth.

We left the swamp behind and proceeded down to the actual township of Okarito, where we parked the car and took a walk through the streets. More a settlement than a town, www.tropicalbirding.com Page 16 of 47

there are only a handful of houses here, and the only road in town was lined with many flax plants, most in flower. This was attracting plenty of Silvereyes, New Zealand Bellbirds and Tuis. We had recorded a Tui (pronounced too-ee in case you’re wondering) earlier on the trip, but had only had fleeting glimpses, so it was good to be able to soak up these very captivating birds, with their shaggy manes and white cravats. As they chased each other through the trees and fed on the flax flowers, they even allowed us close enough for some good photos. After getting our fill of the Tuis, we called curtains on a very successful morning and returned to Franz Josef for breakfast.

Our aim for the remainder of the day was to continue south down the coast of Westland, before crossing the mountains to Queenstown. Our first stop was at Fox Glacier, one of two glaciers that are viewable on this part of the coast. A short drive up the access road gave us good views of this retreating glacier, and also a birding surprise. Diving in a small pond to the side of the river was another Blue Duck. Having thought we were only a slim chance to record this species given our itinerary, we had now recorded two. We then moved to a lookout on the steep hills above the glacier, and tried for some forest birds. Long- tailed Koels were our target here, but unfortunately there were none calling. We did hear a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo though, and got some great views of the glacier. Unfortunately a camera malfunction The flowering flax plants in Okarito were full of Tuis means I can’t put any photos in here (above) and New Zealand Bellbirds. to show you!

Leaving the glacier and heading south we made a quick stop at Knight’s Point, which gave us good views both up and down the coast. There were some distant White-capped Albatrosses and Sooty Shearwaters, but nothing new for the list. Because of our excellent morning we were dragging our heels a little, so as we turned away from the coast and climbed up over Haast’s Pass we didn’t really have time to stop for much. We enjoyed the incredible scenery as we passed Lakes Wanaka and Hawea then made a stop at the top of

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the Crown Range to look out over Arrowtown, Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. We descended into Arrowtown for a delicious dinner before making it to our accommodation in Queenstown where we crashed for the night.

Day 6 – Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Our target bird for today was the Black Stilt, a rare endemic wader with a very restricted distribution. From our base in Queenstown we planned to strike out into the Mackenzie Basin where we would bird the braided rivers and wetlands, searching for this little gem. We decided to make it a late start after our demanding schedule so far, and didn’t get underway until mid-morning. Unfortunately it was a pretty miserable day which was disappointing, as on a sunny day the Mackenzie Basin is among the most stunning parts of New Zealand. You can find yourself distracted from the birding with spectacular snow-capped mountains climbing above you, while the aqua blue lakes in the north of the basin scream for photos, with the sentinel-like Mount Cook rising in the background.

Approaching Twizel we perused a couple of small wetlands where we saw our first Canada Geese for the trip, a common introduction in New Zealand. We also passed some fields being ploughed, with large numbers of Kelp Gulls, South Island Oystercatchers and Black- fronted Terns in attendance. We stopped for lunch in Twizel, and after a short break set off to our first site, the Poaka Wetlands just outside town.

We took about 30 minutes to wander around this pleasant wetland area, but had no luck finding any stilts. We did find some ducks though, with several New Zealand Scaup around and the ubiquitous Mallard. Having decided to head off, we checked one last sandbank, and met with success; there was a lone Black Stilt resting there. It was only a young bird, with some white still in the plumage, but with the ‘scope we were able to pick out the characteristics that convinced us we were looking at a Black Stilt rather than a hybrid Black/Pied Stilt. Still, it was a little unsatisfying, a bit like ticking a bird-of-paradise having only seen the female, so we decided to keep searching for a full adult bird.

We checked a few nearby ponds and found several Pied Stilts, including a pair with very young chicks, and also had probably our best looks at a resting Black-fronted Tern. Leaving on our way to another site for the stilt, we passed Poaka again, and this time out on the quiet ponds spied what looked like an adult Black Stilt. After hurriedly getting to the shore and setting up the telescope we had fantastic views of a full, jet black adult stilt feeding along the wetland edge. We watched this bird in worsening weather for a good 20 minutes before the strengthening rain forced us into the car, and with our target bird in the bag, we decided to leave the weather behind and head for home. We did make a brief stop just outside Queenstown at Lake Hayes, where we were able to add Eurasian Coot and Great- crested Grebe to the trip list, before making it back to our hotel and getting an early night.

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Day 7 – Thursday, 6 January 2011

Today is a fantastic day on the tour, and one I had been looking forward to immensely. Not only are there some great birds on offer, but we pass through some of New Zealand’s finest scenery before taking a cruise on the stunning Milford Sound in the remote south-west of the South Island.

We left Queenstown early and drove quickly to Te Anau, where we proceeded up the eastern edge of Lake Te Anau. This lake is bordered on the western side by the legendary Murchison Mountains, wild and remote home of the only remaining natural population of Takahe, a giant flightless swamphen. Although this population is not accessible to the public, we would have a shot at seeing these incredible birds later in the trip at one of their reintroductions sites. Passing the lake we entered the southern reaches of the grand Eglinton Valley, its steep forest clad slopes and winding shallow river coming straight from a Lord of the Rings set. We didn’t stop in the valley as we were hoping to get to the high alpine slopes at the entrance to the Homer Tunnel for a crack at South Island (Rock) Wren, before out cruise on Milford Sound. Approaching the tunnel is a truly awe inspiring experience, as tremendous sheer cliffs climb above wild rivers, and waterfalls careen off the high plateaus.

The boulder strewn slopes at the entrance to the Homer Tunnel are the inhospitable habitat of the beautiful little South Island (Rock) Wren. The perspective doesn’t do this landscape justice. The waterfalls in the background are several hundred metres high.

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Unfortunately this can be an inhospitable location, with avalanches during the winter and howling cold winds possible at any time of year. We were lucky; on our arrival all we had to contend with was light rain. Leaving the car we started our walk along the boulder strewn slopes, straining our ears for the high pitched contact call that might lead us to a pair of wrens. The call is so highly pitched that any wind makes it very difficult to hear, so we were lucky to only be dealing with rain. After about fifteen minutes a small squeak grabbed our attention. Pishing didn’t reveal any perpetrator, then just as we turned away, a spiffing little South Island (Rock) Wren bounced up on a boulder and announced its presence. It was soon joined by a mate, and then we were treated to a truly magical birding experience as we spent about ten minutes watching these delightful birds work their way along the boulders, feeding and posing for photographs.

An enigmatic bird, these wrens along with the Rifleman, belong to the New Zealand Wren family and are thought to be the most ancient lineage of songbirds. Their ecology is also poorly understood; no one really knows what they do in the winter. The few locations where they are found above the snowline are covered in snow during winter, and although it had been suspected the birds moved lower down, there are no records of the birds in the winter months. It is now thought that perhaps they enter some kind of torpor, or maybe survive under the snow, being able to forage in the air pockets left under boulders. One thing that is for sure, these guys are absolutely cracking little birds, The very cute South Island Wren. We were lucky to find a and one my favourites in New pair of these birds which posed very nicely for some Zealand. photographs. www.tropicalbirding.com Page 20 of 47

Leaving the wrens behind we continued through the Homer Tunnel and down the other side to Milford Sound. It was raining steadily as we checked in for our cruise, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. To use a Campbellism (for those of you who know Iain), the Milford Sound cruise is a very ‘dude’ part of the tour. It is aimed squarely at the tourist in all of us, as there aren’t really any birds you need to cruise the sound to see, but coming to New Zealand and not seeing Milford Sound would be criminal. It is also said that Milford Sound needs to be seen several times to really appreciate its grandeur. One of the most amazing things about the sound is the hundreds of ephemeral waterfalls which pour into it. On rainy days (like this particular one), all of these waterfalls are pouring furiously from the high cliffs surrounding the sound. It only has to stop raining for a Hundreds of waterfalls like these, careen off the day or two (which is a rare occurrence high cliffs that surround the spectacular Milford here), and most of these waterfalls dry Sound. up completely.

So, we left the dock and spent the next couple of hours enjoying the natural beauty that surrounded us. We also kept an eye out for the endemic Fiordland Penguin which can be seen in the sound, although at this time of year they have finished breeding and mostly gone to sea. As we briefly left the sound we spied a few Sooty Shearwaters skimming the ocean, but otherwise things were quiet on the bird front. We made a stop at the underwater observatory inside the sound which was interesting. The large amounts of fresh water which pour into the sound cause a phenomenon called Deep Sea Emergence. The layer of freshwater which constantly sits on top prevents the normal amount of light penetrating the water. Coupled with the still conditions inside the sound, this creates an environment very similar to that of much deeper water, and so marine life which is usually restricted to much deeper water occurs in the shallow water of the sound. The underwater observatory allows visitors to see these marine creatures up close.

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We finished our cruise as the weather improved, and returned to the car for our return to Te Anau. Leaving Milford Sound and slowing the car at a narrow bridge, we were lucky to hear the distinctive insect like call of a Long-tailed Koel. Stopping immediately we jumped out of the car, and the bird called again. This is a notoriously difficult species to see, as they can be unresponsive to tapes, but will call continuously from the same hidden perch. It seemed like this bird was only metres from us, but after a frustrating ten minutes we couldn’t see it. Ready to give up, someone glimpsed some movement in the canopy and saw the bird’s tail. With a little manoeuvring and if you held your mouth like so, it was possible with the ‘scope to see most of a Long-tailed Koel, preening and occasionally calling in the canopy; From the underwater observatory on the edge of the unsatisfying, but tickable views of a sound it is possible to see the beautiful marine life, tough bird. some which usually occurs in much deeper water.

Leaving the koel behind we continued back up to the tunnel where we stopped again to find the South Island Wrens, hoping for more photos. We were lucky to come across the pair in the same place as earlier, and enjoyed watching and photographing these great little birds. By this time it was getting quite late, so we pressed on to Te Anau, where our last new bird was an Australasian Pipit, followed by a well deserved dinner and some rest before our assault on Stewart Island the next day.

Day 8 – Friday, 7 January 2011

Having connected with most of the birds we needed so far, we had an easy start to the day with some forest birding around Te Anau. We didn’t get anything new for the list, but were able to get some photos of a few more common species we had already seen. Some obliging www.tropicalbirding.com Page 22 of 47

Tomtits put on a show, while the ringing calls of Tuis and New Zealand Bellbirds echoed through the forest. We saw a range of introduced species like Common Redpoll and Dunnock, as well as a few of the smaller native birds like Grey Gerygone and Silvereye. Leaving Te Anau we worked our way towards Invercargill, getting a few Black-billed Gulls on the way.

New Zealand Bellbirds are quite common throughout New Zealand. It is not uncommon to see Tuis or Bellbirds with yellow foreheads like this one, as they become dusted with the pollen of flax flowers.

In Invercargill we stopped for lunch, and did a little shopping before proceeding out to Bluff, the departure point for our ferry to Stewart Island. It had turned into a very blustery and windy day, which was a double-edged sword. The Foveaux Strait, between the South Island and Stewart Island can be notoriously rough, and with the strong winds our boat trip was going to be very unpleasant. If you can stand the wind and swell though, taking a position on the back deck of the boat in such conditions can result in some great birds, so that’s where this foolish guide tried to stick it out. It was worth the effort.

Within minutes of leaving the safety of the harbour the first of hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters were rolling past, then for a split second a large Pterodroma petrel revealed itself between the waves. With the briefest of views I suspected White-headed Petrel, but unfortunately it was not seen well enough to tick. Still, it got the juices flowing, and soon we had a White-capped Albatross following the boat, while a couple of Fairy Prions crossed our wake. A small seabird fluttering away from the boat was our first Common Diving-Petrel,

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followed by several more, with some quite close and giving good views. A flash of white from the underwing of a nearby bird had me inspecting closely, revealing another first, this time the sought after Mottled Petrel. At this time of year these birds are breeding on a few of the islets around Stewart Island, and over the next forty minutes nearly twenty of them passed by the boat. Following the excitement of the petrel we added two new birds to the list, a marauding Northern Giant-Petrel which followed the boat briefly, and a lone Short- tailed Shearwater among the Sootys. Conditions calmed as we entered Halfmoon Bay and we received an unexpected surprise as we came alongside the jetty. An albatross cruising around inside the bay was not the expected White-capped, but a Buller’s Albatross. Uncommon at this time of year, this was a bonus bird we were happy to get on the list.

After checking in to our accommodation we had some local fish and chips for dinner, before taking a rest in preparation for our night time excursion in search of Southern Brown Kiwi. An absolute trip highlight, this expedition has been running for twenty years, and would be well known to birders who have seen Sir David Attenborough’s Life of Birds series. He was filmed on the very same beach we visit, and perhaps with the very same kiwi! Leaving the dock at 9pm the trip started with a 45 minute boat ride across Paterson Inlet. We were joined briefly by a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins which rode our bow wave, and we also spotted several Little Penguins coming into shore after a long day of fishing. Arriving at our jetty, we received a short introductory talk from our guides Phil and Garry, then left the dock in the twilight, crossing a narrow spit of land to This sign greeted us after getting off the boat Ocean Beach. We listened carefully for on Stewart Island. A sign of things to come? any kiwis foraging in the undergrowth on the way, but didn’t find anything. On arrival at the beach we walked the length, keeping an eye out for kiwis. The birds come out of the brush at the back of the beach, and search for food along the high tide mark, where there is plenty of seaweed washed up. This seaweed hides a multitude of invertebrates which the kiwis like to feed on.

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After one lap of the beach we had still not found a kiwi, and we were starting to get nervous. Phil had made the mistake of telling us that for the last two years they had not failed to find a kiwi, so the pressure was on. On our second run along the beach we had reached a small stream at the end with no luck and were about to turn around for another lap, when our guide Garry spotted some movement. Hurriedly following him and gathering around we were able to glimpse a Southern Brown Kiwi running along the back of the beach and into a depression. We crept forward slowly, and were rewarded with good looks at a female kiwi working her way along the beach before disappearing into the undergrowth. With the monkey off our back we did one more lap of the beach but couldn’t improve on our first sighting, with a quick glimpse of another kiwi leaving the beach, but nothing else. As we decided to leave and head back to the boat a pair of kiwis serenaded us with their eerie piping and roaring duet, an excellent end to the night.

New Zealand’s iconic bird, the kiwi – this is a Southern Brown Kiwi foraging on Ocean Beach, Stewart Island.

Day 9 – Saturday, 8 January 2011

After a late night we took a little extra rest this morning before getting on our way to Ulva Island. Our birding started as soon as we left the hotel, with both Variable and South Island Oystercatchers feeding on the beach, while White-fronted Terns and Red-billed Gulls foraged in the bay. We started our walk over to Golden Bay where we would catch the

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water taxi, and hadn’t gone far before we heard the strange gurgling and hooting whistles of a New Zealand Kaka. We saw a bird fly over, but shortly after got our first good looks, as we found one of these very charming parrots feeding on some flax. It didn’t hang around long, but was soon replaced by a very loud Tui which gave great views, while we could hear the nearby chattering of a Red-fronted Parakeet. We arrived at the jetty and boarded our water taxi for the ten minute voyage to the Island. On the way we picked out a few Little Penguins loafing on the surface, before pulling alongside and stepping onto the island.

Perhaps the most devastating problem New Zealand’s birds have had to face since the arrival of man, has been the introduction of land-based predators where there previously were none. Prior to the arrival of Pacific Rats and a variety of mustelids, the only native land mammals on New Zealand were a few species of small bat. As soon as these One of the first birds of the day, an endemic South Island voracious predators arrived Oystercatcher. though, bird populations were decimated with many species only surviving on remote islands that the predators could not reach. This has resulted in conservation efforts focussing on similar small islands that are intensively managed to eradicate mammal predators, allowing the reintroduction of native birds which then thrive. Ulva Island is one such sanctuary, and is an incredible place to visit and see New Zealand how it once was.

Within minutes of stepping off the boat we had our first new bird, an inquisitive Weka. These flightless rails are quite common on the island, and over the next few hours we would see several of them, including families with young birds. While watching the Weka, the distinctive chattering of Red- fronted Parakeets caught our This pair of gorgeous Red-fronted Parakeets were among attention, as a pair flew in the first birds we saw on Ulva Island. www.tropicalbirding.com Page 26 of 47

and landed right above our heads. We were able to watch these shy birds for several minutes as they rested in the canopy and preened each other. Moving into the forest we soon had our first New Zealand Robin in attendance, following us along the track looking for any insects we disturbed. They are so friendly it feels like an effort to stop from treading on them! There were plenty more common birds around, with Tuis, Tomtits, New Zealand Pigeons and Red-fronted Parakeets regular sightings.

The weird hooting and gurgling calls of the New Zealand Kaka are usually the first sign of their presence. We were lucky to watch a pair of birds including this one foraging very close to us on Ulva Island. They behaved almost like nuthatches, crawling up and down trunks and branches, looking for grubs.

We arrived at a small bench and took the opportunity for a rest, when the chattering of a parakeet again caught our attention. Looking closely though, we were able to see the yellow forehead of a Yellow-fronted Parakeet, another of our target birds. This was closely followed by the arrival of a pair of New Zealand Kakas, which entertained us for a good ten minutes. They foraged among the trees like giant nuthatches, even allowing close approach for some reasonable photographs. We reluctantly left the kakas behind, and continued searching for our remaining quarry, the elusive Yellowhead. On a couple of occasions we could hear their distinctive staccato call, but they remained too far away to chase down. While taking another rest we heard a bird call closer, and start moving towards us. Immediately jumping up and running down the trail, we craned our necks skyward, as we saw the silhouette of the bird skip through the canopy. Finally it landed on an open branch

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in full sun, and we were treated to the spectacle of a brilliant Yellowhead, calling its heart out.

Having nailed our last target, and with a late night behind us, we decided to take an early mark and head back to the hotel for a restful afternoon. Waiting for out water taxi back at the jetty we were able to get a few more photos of the Weka, before returning to Golden Bay and walking over to our accommodation, the delightful South Sea Hotel.

The first bird to greet us on Ulva Island and the last to see us off was this Weka, a flightless rail endemic to New Zealand.

Day 10 – Sunday, 9 January 2011

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel while looking out over the glorious Halfmoon Bay, we reluctantly packed up our gear and headed down to the wharf to catch the ferry back to the mainland. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and barely a breath of wind, so conditions on the water would be pleasant but less than ideal for birds. As we left the harbour we got several Bronze (Stewart Island) Shags resting on a rock stack, but there was barely a bird in sight outside the heads, with a distant White-capped Albatross loafing on the surface while a few Sooty Shearwaters passed by slowly. As we moved out into the straits we were able to pick up a few Common Diving-Petrels, and with the boat not rocking all over the place, we got reasonable views. Otherwise, it was a quiet trip back to Bluff.

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After collecting the car and packing our gear, we worked our way slowly back to Invercargill where we would be staying the night. We stopped at a few wetlands the area is well known for along the way, but didn’t pick up any new birds. There were plenty of ducks around, and we saw Paradise Shelduck, Australian Shoveler and Mallard, plus large numbers of Black Swan. There were waders about as well, with plenty of Pied Stilts, South Island Oystercatchers and a smattering of Bar-tailed Godwits. As lunch approached we made for Invercargill and checked in to our accommodation. With no new birds on offer and a 5am start in the morning, we decided to have a quiet afternoon catching up on admin and sleep before commencing our final assault on the North Island tomorrow.

Day 11 – Monday, 10 January 2011

An early morning flight out of Invercargill with a stopover in Christchurch had us arriving in Auckland at around lunchtime. We picked up our new car, and with no time to waste got on the road north, heading for our first stop at Muriwai. The highlight at Muriwai is the Australasian Gannets that have formed a A common bird right around the coast of New Zealand, we nesting colony above the saw many White-fronted Terns, including a small nesting steep cliffs on the colony on the cliffs of Muriwai. mainland, and which allow close approach from a couple of designated lookouts. It was another beautiful day and we spent over an hour just enjoying the antics at the colony, where there were several chicks close to fledging, and many adults soaring in the updrafts from the cliffs. Also around were White-fronted Terns and Red-billed Gulls, both with small nesting colonies on the cliff as well, while several Kelp Gulls hovered around looking for an easy feed. Several hundred photos later we dragged ourselves away, leaving the colony behind to go for our next target bird.

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A majestic adult Australasian Gannet soaring above the cliffs at Muriwai.

Moving out onto the south head of Kaipara Harbour, our next destination was Lake Kereta, a lake which can hold a variety of waterbirds. On arriving we weren’t disappointed as we picked up several cormorants including Little Pied, Pied, Little Black and Great. Cruising in close to the reedbeds was a pair of Pacific Black (Grey) Ducks, and as we pulled in at the end of the lake, a lone Caspian Tern passed overhead. We jumped out of the car and started searching for our quarry. At first it looked like we may have been out of luck, until some movement in the cover of the nearby reeds drew our attention. Soon, an adult New Zealand Grebe popped up from its dive, and was soon followed by another adult, then two very small chicks emerged from the reeds, only recently out of the nest. For fifteen minutes we watched the adults constantly diving and returning with morsels of food for their young, and as they worked closer to our vantage point we were able to get good views of these delightful little birds.

By this time it was quite late, so leaving the grebes behind we got on our way back to Auckland. There wasn’t much to excite us on the trip back except a few roadside Purple Swamphens and more Swamp Harriers. Arriving in Auckland we had dinner before moving off to bed, requiring a good night’s rest before our second pelagic tomorrow.

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Day 12 – Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Today was arguably the best day of the tour. Leaving Auckland we headed north for our first stop at Tawharanui Regional Park, getting our list off to a good start with some common birds like Purple Swamphen, Sacred Kingfisher and New Zealand Pigeon. Arriving at the park we drove to the first small wetland and got out to scan the edges. On the near side was a large group of Paradise Shelducks which were very close and allowed some good photos. Continuing to scan the edge, we soon picked up the first pair of our target bird, Brown Teal. These rare ducks have been subject to an intense conservation program and it was pleasing to find them so easily. We watched this pair forage in the water very close to us, even allowing some reasonable photographs. Continuing to scan the wetland revealed some other good birds, with White-faced Herons feeding actively along the water’s edge, and a pair of Caspian Terns loafing on a sandbank. We also found more Brown Teal, ending up with about nine birds in total.

Leaving Tawharanui behind we continued up the coast to Leigh, the departure point for our pelagic trip. This pelagic trip would take us out into the Hauraki Gulf, which at this time of year is a seabirding hotspot. The gulf is surrounded by a series of islands, islets and rocky stacks which are a mecca for breeding seabirds, and at this time of year it is We found this pair of rare Brown Teal at Tawharanui possible to rack up an Regional Park, where an intensive management program is impressive list. We met our helping the population recover. skipper and trip organiser Karen on the jetty, and were soon aboard our boat and leaving the harbour, excited at the prospects of what we might see.

Our first bird was unfortunately a dead one floating down the side of the boat, which was netted and identified as a Short-tailed Shearwater, an uncommon bird in these parts. It had been caught on a fishing hook and some line. We hadn’t gone far from the harbour though when we had our first live birds, as we started to scatter some resting groups of Fluttering Shearwaters from the surface. This was followed by the first of several hundred Cook’s Petrels we would see over the course of the day, as they sliced across the increasing swell. Luckily there was enough wind to keep the birds moving around, but not enough to make the boat trip too uncomfortable. At one point as a few of us were looking out the side of the boat we had an incredible experience, as a Short-beaked Common Dolphin leapt clear of the

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water within about three metres of the boat, only to disappear just as quickly. It was one of those moments when you wish you could take a freeze frame of what your eyes had just seen!

After about an hour we arrived at our first stop, where we started chumming and waited for the birds to roll in. It didn’t take long, and within seconds the first of many White-faced Storm-Petrels arrived at the back of the boat, dancing across the surface like little ballerinas. Some Cook’s Petrels came in close for photos, while a small bluish bird was our first Fairy Prion. We were quickly joined by a few Buller’s and Flesh-footed Shearwaters, and after close passes we were able to bed down the ID of all these species. This was just in time for the prize of the day, as the shout of ‘storm-petrel’ went out, with a large black-and- white storm-petrel coming in swiftly to the slick. It hung around and we had great views of a cracking New Zealand Storm-Petrel as it fed on the slick for a while. An enigma, this small bird was known from only three specimens taken in the 19th century, and had been thought to be a colour morph of the more common Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. It was ‘rediscovered’ off New Zealand in 2003 and can now be regularly seen during summer in the Hauraki Gulf. Incredibly, their breeding location still remains unknown, although it seems likely to be one of the many islands that surround the gulf.

One of the first birds to arrive at the back of the boat once we started chumming was the delightful little White-faced Storm-Petrel.

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With the storm-petrel in the bag, we decided to move a little further out to try for our next target, Parkinson’s (Black) Petrel, which breeds on the nearby Little Barrier Island. On the way we saw a distant Common Diving-Petrel, but until we stopped to chum things were quiet. We were soon joined by the White-faced Storm-Petrels again, and Our final target for the day was Parkinson’s (Black) another New Zealand Storm- Petrel. We found nearly a dozen birds, just off Little Petrel stopped by. It didn’t take Barrier Island. long before several large, dark petrels approached the boat, and after carefully looking for the diagnostic features we confirmed our first Parkinson’s Petrels. Luckily they were joined by a Flesh-footed Shearwater which allowed us to directly compare these two difficult species. As the petrels were sitting on the water they were surprised by a 1.5 metre Shortfin Mako Shark who was attracted to our berley. Unlike the Blue Shark at Kaikoura which hadn’t bothered the birds at all, this guy was a different story and we watched as each bird took its turn to jump out of the way of this menacing predator.

Having now seen all the species we had hoped for, we decided to head for home. We made a short stop to watch a large school of fish feeding on the surface, accompanied by Fluttering and Buller’s Shearwaters, both storm- petrels and several Fairy Prions, but otherwise it was a quiet trip back to the harbour, after a very successful pelagic. This Shortfin Mako Shark came along to investigate the slick, and the birds didn’t enjoy having him around.

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Cook’s Petrels (top) were common around the boat all day, slicing past on the stiff breeze. We were also lucky to see our prize bird for the day, the recently rediscovered New Zealand Storm-Petrel (bottom). If you look closely you can see the diagnostic streaking on the white belly.

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But the day wasn’t over quite yet. After getting off the boat we decided to make a dash for nearby Pakiri Beach, where a pair of the very rare Fairy Tern had recently fledged some young. On arrival we moved out onto the beach, scanning for the terns, but not finding them. We did get a good consolation prize though, as we picked up our first Red-breasted (New Zealand) Dotterels, which also breed here. We were able to approach some of them quite closely, and got some great photos of this endemic shorebird. Leaving the beach behind we moved out to the small river behind the beach, where we were lucky to spy an Australasian Bittern from the car. We jumped out for better looks, but were too slow as it slid back into the fringing vegetation. Wait as we might it wouldn’t come out again, although we did get great views of a Buff-banded Rail foraging on the We found several endemic Red-breasted (New edge of the mangroves instead. On Zealand) Dotterels on Pakiri Beach, including that note we wrapped things up and several young birds. drove to Matakana where we celebrated a fantastic day with a few beers and a hearty pub dinner.

Day 13 – Wednesday, 12 January 2011

After yesterday’s big day there was no respite; we left early for the pier in downtown Auckland where we would board our ferry to Tiritiri Matangi, another island sanctuary just off the coast. Like Ulva Island, Tiritiri has been the subject of intense efforts to eradicate mammalian predators, followed by the reintroduction of several bird species which now thrive. A visit to Tiritiri is one of the great New Zealand birding experiences.

We left for the island around 9:30am, and the trip was relatively uneventful, except for two new birds we added to the list; a Pacific Reef-Heron on the breakwater at Gulf Harbour, and a pair of Parasitic Jaegers seen just before arriving at Tiritiri. After leaving the ferry we had www.tropicalbirding.com Page 35 of 47

to wait a few minutes for a brief from the ranger, before we moved off and started to build our list. Within minutes we had added Tui, which are very common on the island, along with New Zealand Bellbird, and a pair of overflying Red-fronted Parakeets. As we steadily climbed the trail we caught our first of many groups of Whitehead, another endemic, followed by a very friendly Brown Quail which was foraging on the edge of the trail. A Sacred Kingfisher crossed the track and perched giving us good views, followed soon after by a very obliging New Zealand Pigeon.

We soon had our attention drawn to a loud two-note call from the undergrowth, and as we looked in that direction, saw two Saddlebacks explode from the bushes, chasing each other around. We watched in delight as We had seen plenty of New Zealand Pigeons the birds bounced around us, although during the trip, but it wasn’t until Tiritiri Matangi they were too quick for photos, try as that we were able to get really good views. we might. We had a rest stop in some denser forest, hoping to hear or perhaps see a Kokako, but were without luck. Continuing in to the forest we arrived at one of the supplementary feeders set up on the island to help support the population of Stitchbird which has been established on the island. We watched the New Zealand Bellbirds using the feeder, but it took about five minutes before the first Stitchbird arrived, a cracking male. We watched him use the feeder before being followed shortly after by another male and a female. These absolutely gorgeous birds are very striking, much more dapper than the field guide suggests. They are also very jumpy, and we spent quite a while just enjoying their antics, but try as we might we only succeeded in getting some average photographs.

Leaving the Stitchbirds behind, we worked our way up to the lighthouse, where we arrived in time for lunch. Unsurprisingly the first bird we saw was ‘Greg’ the Takahe, who has unfortunately taken a shine to human food, and now pesters everyone for their sandwich, even taking it right out of your hands if you’re not careful. Not all the Takahes are like Greg though, and after finishing lunch we moved to the rank grasslands behind the lighthouse, where we found a pair of Takahe foraging very normally, and looking after two fluffy black

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We started to move back to the ferry at this point, coming across another confrontation between two Saddleback pairs. This time they were so involved in scolding each other that we were able to take some good photos of these attractive birds. Retracing our steps we went back to the Stitchbird feeders and admired these guys for a little longer, also hoping we may come across a Kokako, but unfortunately the large numbers of people around (it was summer holidays) was keeping these shy birds at bay. We arrived at the wharf just as the ferry was pulling in, and were soon on our way back to Auckland.

The ferry trip was used as time to rest our weary legs, before we arrived in Auckland and had to immediately hit the road south for With only a very small wild population remaining in the drive to Miranda. We arrived the mountains of Fiordland in south-western New there right in time for dinner, Zealand, Takahe have been reintroduced to several before checking in to our sites including Tiritiri to ensure their survival. accommodation. As we were unloading the car, the distinctive repetitive whistle of a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo caught our attention. We couldn’t see the bird despite our best efforts, until it burst from the canopy and flew over, only to keep on going and not be seen again. Very frustrating! With some sunlight still remaining we made a brief trip to the mudflats where although the tide was low, many waders were still visible. With the ‘scope we were able to pick out many waders, although there was nothing here that we needed for life lists. Still, it was good to see more Wrybill, a few Pacific Golden Plovers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Red Knots and Black-billed Gulls.

As darkness fell, we left the estuary and headed inland for a few minutes to try for the formerly endemic New Zealand owl, Morepork; formerly endemic because in the latest Clements update it has been lumped with its Australian relative, the Southern Boobook. After arriving at our site we could hear several birds calling straight away, but none seemed to respond to our tape. Moving along the road, we kept trying until it seemed we were www.tropicalbirding.com Page 38 of 47 going to have to record a heard only, when suddenly one called from right beside the track. Try as we might it wouldn’t reveal itself though, until an attempt at squeaking had the bird exploding from the undergrowth to investigate. It perched, and in the spotlight we were able to watch a Southern Boobook peering around and calling only metres above our heads; a fantastic end to another spectacular day.

Day 14 – Thursday, 13 January 2011

Unfortunately our last day of the tour had arrived, and we were faced with a dilemma. We had seen nearly all of the birds we were after, with only two endemic birds still within our reach, the New Zealand Falcon and Kokako. So, instead of spending the day wader watching and returning to Auckland, at a leisurely pace, we made the decision to go on a mad twitch in the hope of possibly picking up one of these difficult birds. We left early and with breakfast on the run, had arrived at Mapara Wildlife Reserve by mid-morning. Leaving the car and moving into the forest, we didn’t regret our decision as we were soon surrounded by birds. A flock of Whitehead moved over, and we also picked up a very inquisitive New Zealand Fantail. We soon heard the first of many Long-tailed Koels, their buzzing call echoing across the steep hillsides, although they refused to show themselves.

The found this very cute and charismatic New Zealand Fantail at Mapara Wildlife Reserve on our last day of the tour.

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As we approached an open area a distinctive strident cry sounded from overhead, and as we snapped our heads skywards we were rewarded with a New Zealand Falcon cruising slowly by. Much fist pumping and shouting ensued, followed by another falcon which soared by at a very leisurely pace, allowing us to soak up this magnificent endemic before it folded its wings and dashed out of sight. Already the trip was worth it, but as we continued we saw many more fantastic birds. A New Zealand Robin posed quietly in the understorey, while a Tomtit came to investigate our squeaking. Unfortunately the Long-tailed Koels wouldn’t reveal themselves, and the Kokako stayed silent and hidden. We had climbed quite a way by this point, so decided to work our way back down slowly. We heard another falcon calling, but couldn’t see it, then finally as we reached the bottom, we got brief views of an aptly named Long-tailed Koel as it flew high overhead. We resigned ourselves to dipping on the Kokako and started the long haul back to Auckland.

We made one last stop at the Whangamarino wetlands, where we were able to get nice views of several waterfowl including Paradise Shelduck, Australasian Shoveler, Pacific Black Duck and a mysterious all dark Little Pied Cormorant which confused us momentarily. Our last new bird of the trip though was a surprise. A distant brown shape skulking in the reeds looked like a fallen tree, until through the ‘scope it revealed itself as an Australasian Bittern. Fortunately this one hung around for a few minutes and allowed us reasonable if distant views before retreating to cover. By that stage it was getting late in the afternoon, and after a big day and a big two weeks we had to draw the curtain on a magnificent trip, returning to Auckland and saying our farewells.

The beautiful Paradise Shelduck is a common bird throughout New Zealand and we saw them on most days. This bird is a female – the males have black heads. www.tropicalbirding.com Page 40 of 47

In summary, given the length of the tour and the time of year, we ended up with a very respectable total of 125 species. While an extra few days would have allowed us to target more endemics, the requirement for this custom tour to fit as much as possible into only two weeks while still maintaining a relaxed pace, meant we had to prioritise and miss a few birds. The only endemic we missed was Kokako, and this was again a function of our schedule. With only a few extra days in the itinerary we would have probably added this, plus a couple of extra kiwi species to the list. The time of year also meant that some birds like Fiordland Penguin weren’t possible, while others were more difficult, such as the Long- tailed Koel. Still, given these restraints we did well, and saw nearly all the endemics possible.

Onto the highlights, and for any New Zealand trip, kiwi has to top the list. The Southern Brown Kiwi on Stewart Island is not only a cool bird, but the whole trip from the boat ride across Paterson Inlet, to walking through the dark forest, and then the tantalising excitement of stalking along the beach is a fantastic wildlife experience. Other highlights included our day trip to Tiritiri Matangi, while individual birds that caught our imagination were the tiny little South Island Wren, and the gorgeous Blue Duck. New Zealand must also be the seabird capital of the world; nowhere else is such a wide range of seabirds so easily accessible. This trip certainly lived up to expectations, with five species and seven taxa of albatross recorded, fifteen species of petrels and shearwaters, two species of storm-petrel and one diving-petrel.

So, in short, a wonderful trip and one I hope to guide again soon. This trip will be making our catalogue for 2012, so if you want to come along, give the office a call. I would love to have you along next time!

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BIRD LIST

This list includes all the bird species that were recorded on this tour. Taxonomy and nomenclature closely follow Clements (2007). Parentheses denote an alternate name used by some checklists.

Total: 125 species.

KIWIS: Apterygidae 1. Southern Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis

DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS: Anatidae 2. Greylag (Feral) Goose Anser anser 3. Canada Goose Branta canadiensis 4. Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae 5. Black Swan Cygnus atratus 6. Paradise Shelduck Tadorna variegata 7. Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhyncos 8. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 9. Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa 10. Australian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis 11. Grey Teal Anas gracilis 12. Brown Teal Anas chlorotis 13. New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae

PHEASANTS, GROUSE AND ALLIES: Phasianidae 14. Red Junglefowl (Feral Chicken) Gallus gallus 15. Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus 16. California Quail Callipepla californica 17. Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophorus 18. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

GREBES: Podicipedidae 19. New Zealand Grebe Poliocephalus rufopectus 20. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

PENGUINS: Spheniscidae 21. Yellow-eyed Penguin Megadyptes antipodes 22. Little Penguin Eudyptula minor

ALBATROSSES: Diomedeidae 23. Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri 24. White-capped Albatross Thalassarche cauta 25. Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche salvini 26. Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora 27. Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans

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SHEARWATERS AND PETRELS: Procellariidae 28. Northern Giant-Petrel Macronectes halli 29. Cape Petrel Daption capense 30. Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera 31. Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata 32. Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii 33. Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 34. White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis 35. Parkinson’s (Black) Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni 36. Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica 37. Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes 38. Buller’s Shearwater Puffinus bulleri 39. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus 40. Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris 41. Hutton’s Shearwater Puffinus huttoni 42. Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavial

STORM-PETRELS: Hydrobatidae 43. New Zealand Storm-Petrel Oceanites maorianus 44. White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina

BOOBIES AND GANNETS: Sulidae 45. Australasian Gannet Morus serrator

CORMORANTS AND SHAGS: Phalacrocoracidae 46. Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 47. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 48. Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius 49. Bronze (Stewart Island) Shag Phalacrocorax chalconotus 50. Spotted Shag Phalacrocorax punctatus 51. Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS: Ardeidae 52. Australasian Bittern Botaurus poiciloptilus 53. Great Egret Ardea alba 54. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae 55. Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra

IBIS AND SPOONBILLS: Threskiornithidae 56. Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia

HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES: Accipitridae 57. Swamp Harrier Circus approximans

FALCONS AND CARACARAS: Falconidae 58. New Zealand Falcon Falco novaeseelandiae

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RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS: Rallidae 59. Weka Gallirallus australis 60. Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus phillipensis 61. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 62. Takahe Porphyrio mantelli 63. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS: Charadriidae 64. Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles 65. Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva 66. Red-breasted (New Zealand) Dotterel Elseyornis melanops 67. Double-banded (Banded) Plover Charadrius bicinctus 68. Wrybill Anarhyncus frontalis

OYSTERCATCHERS: Haematopodidae 69. South Island Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi 70. Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor

STILTS AND AVOCETS: Recurvirostridae 71. Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus 72. Black Stilt Himantopus novaezelandiae

SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES: Scolopacidae 73. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 74. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 75. Red Knot Calidris canutus 76. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata

GULLS, TERNS AND SKIMMERS: Laridae 77. Black-billed Gull Chroicocephalus bulleri 78. Red-billed Gull Chroicocephalus scopulinus 79. Kelp (Southern Black-backed) Gull Larus dominicanus 80. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia 81. Black-fronted Tern Chlidonias albostriatus 82. White-fronted Tern Sterna striata

SKUAS AND JAEGERS: Stercorariidae 83. Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus

PIGEONS AND DOVES: Columbidae 84. Rock Pigeon Columba livia 85. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis 86. New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

NEW ZEALAND PARROTS: Strigopidae 87. Kea Nestor notabilis 88. New Zealand Kaka Nestor meridionalis www.tropicalbirding.com Page 44 of 47

PARROTS: Psittacidae 89. Red-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae 90. Yellow-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus auriceps 91. Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius

CUCKOOS: Cuculidae 92. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus 93. Long-tailed Koel Eudynamys taitensis

OWLS: Strigidae 94. Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae

KINGFISHERS: Alcedinidae 95. Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus

NEW ZEALAND WRENS: Acanthisittidae 96. Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris 97. South Island (Rock) Wren Xenicus gilviventris

HONEYEATERS: Meliphagidae 98. New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura 99. Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae

THORNBILLS AND ALLIES: Acanthizidae 100. Grey Gerygone (Warbler) Gerygone igata

WATTLEBIRDS: Callaeidae 101. Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus

STITCHBIRD: Notiomystidae 102. Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta

BELLMAGPIES AND ALLIES: Cracticidae 103. Australasian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen

WHISTLERS AND ALLIES: Pachycephalidae 104. Whitehead Mohoua albicilla 105. Yellowhead Mohoua ochrocephala 106. Pipipi (Brown Creeper) Mohoua novaeseelandiae

FANTAILS: Rhipiduridae 107. New Zealand Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa

AUSTRALASIAN ROBINS: Petroicidae 108. Tomtit Petroica macrocephala www.tropicalbirding.com Page 45 of 47

109. New Zealand Robin Petroica australis

LARKS: Alaudidae 110. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

SWALLOWS: Hirundinidae 111. Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

GRASSBIRDS AND ALLIES: Megaluridae 112. Fernbird Megalurus punctatus

THRUSHES AND ALLIES: Turdidae 113. Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula 114. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

BABBLERS:Timaliidae 115. Silver-eye Zosterops lateralis

STARLINGS: Sturnidae 116. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 117. European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

ACCENTORS: Prunellidae 118. Dunnock Prunella modularis

WAGTAILS AND PIPITS: Motacillidae 119. Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae

BUNTINGS, SPARROWS AND ALLIES: Emberizidae 120. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella

SISKINS, CROSSBILLS AND ALLIES: Fringillidae 121. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 122. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris 123. Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea 124. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

OLD WORLD SPARROWS: Passeridae 125. House Sparrow Passer domesticus

MAMMAL LIST European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Stoat (Ermine) Mustela ermine Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula European Hare Lepus europaeus European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus New Zealand Fur-Seal Arctocephalus forsteri www.tropicalbirding.com Page 46 of 47

Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis Dusky Dolphin Lagenorhyncus obscurus Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus

OTHERS Blue Shark Prionace glauca Shortfin Mako Shark Isurus oxirhynchus

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