New Zealand July - December 2015, Trounson Kauri Park

Trounson Kauri Park is the second most famous Kauri park after Waipoua Forest and has just like Waipoua Forest some pretty massive Kauri trees. Unlike Waipoua Forest, however, it is a reasonably reliable site to observe North Island Brown Kiwi. These nightly critters can be observed on a two-and-a-half hour long Guided Kiwi Walk organized by Kauri Coast Top 10 Holiday Park (25 NZD), or by simply going into forest on your own. We joined a guided walk and enjoyed the nightly stroll a lot.

As I have been searching for Kiwi's for several times now, I figured out what the best strategy is to get one into to red light or your torch: Listen for their calls and follow the direction of the call. However, you will not find them solely by call, as the often call irregularly with intervals of 30 minutes or longer. Tape does not work either. Therefore, another strategy has to be applied: walk very quietly through the forest and listen for their "sneezes" and footsteps. I found this method very reliable and have found four of the five Kiwi species in this fashion so far. Applying this method also revealed a young male North Island Brown Kiwi in the Trounson Kauri Park and it allowed stunning views.

Male North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)

Apart from this the Kiwi we also enjoyed good views of several endemic fish species such as the endangered New Zealand Long-finned Eel and Shortjaw Kokopu. Other highlights were some Tree Weta's and Koura (endemic freshwater crayfish). I can recommend the guided night walk, but calling ahead to make your booking is necessary (006494390621). As most places in New Zealand, access to Trounson Kauri Park by public transport is rather limited and perhaps hitchhiking is the best option...

New Zealand Long-finned Eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii)

New Zealand February - June 2015, Akaroa Sound

The Banks Peninsula in general and Akaroa in particular are famous for their local population of the world's rarest dolphin: the tiny Hector's Dolphin. This has turned Akaroa to a touristic attraction with a focus on wildlife watching. There are several tour operators who offer tours into the Akaroa sound to connect with these lovely dolphins. Apart from the Hector's Dolphin's some other good wildlife can be spotted on these tours. Due to the popularity of these tours, reaching Akaroa from Christchurch by private or Public transport should be difficult.

We joined an afternoon nature tour with Black Cat Tours (75 NZD) and even though we were not able to leave the Akaroa sound due to swells of more than five meters, we got good views of a single Hector's Dolphin within the sound (which is apparently quite rare). Apart from the Hector's Dolphins we observed several New Zealand Fur Seals. We also enjoyed views of three Little Blue Penguins of which one could be identified as a White-flippered Penguin (which is either a subspecies of Little Blue Penguin or its own species) and three Giant Petrels of which one could be identified as a Northern. More common birds included several species of Shag, White-fronted Tern and Caspian Tern.

Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori)

New Zealand Fur Seals (Arctocephalus fosteri)

Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli)

White-flippered Penguin (Eudyptula (minor) albosignata)

Even though these tours are quite expensive, I can highly recommend them as they provide a great opportunity for wildlife watching and even though we did not even leave the Sound we got great views of several species. Apparently outside of the Sound Hector's Dolphin's are more common and there are some chances of seeing Albatrosses as well.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Oamaru

Oamaru is a special place in New Zealand as it is one of the few places where two species of Penguin can be observed within one day. Both the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin and the more common Little Blue Penguin have protected colonies just outside of this city. The Yellow-eyed Penguin colony is located at the Bushy Beach and is free of charge while the tightly managed Little Blue Penguin colony costs 28 NZD for an evening viewing. Access to both of these colonies should  not be a problem, both by private and public transport. There is even a Penguin Express that connects both of the colonies!

We arrived at the Bushy Beach around 16:30 and around 17:15 we observed a single Yellow-eyed Penguin making its way towards its nests within the bushes. Please not that this species is highly sensitive to disturbance, so it is advised to remain quiet while observing these stunning birds. Other critters that can be seen on the beach include New Zealand Fur Seals, while some seawatching proved productive with five species of shag including Steward Island Shag, Sooty Shearwaters, some Thallasarche spec's and an unidentified Giant Petrel. We also had another look at this colony in the early morning and around 07:00 we saw three Yellow-eyed Penguins on the beach.

Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)

Around 18:00 we joined an evening viewing at the Little Blue Penguin colony and during the two hours we spent here we observed around 30 of these adorable little birds making their way towards their nest boxes. Before entering the Little Blue Penguin viewing area make sure to have a look at the harbor of Oamaru just next to the viewing area, as a large amount of Steward Island and Spotted Shags roost here.

Vast quantities of Steward Island Shags (Leucocarbo chalconotus) and Spotted Shags (Stictocarbo punctatus)

New Zealand February - June 2015, Glentanner

The Black Stilt (or Kaki) is a sad story in New Zealand's conservation history, as these birds were already suffering from major population declines due to predation by introduced mammals when the construction of a dam almost provided the death stab to this bird of braided river systems. Numbers plummeted to a mere 23 in 1981. Luckily conservation efforts are picking up the pieces now and a captive breeding project is in place to boost the numbers of this critically endangered species.

Ironically, one of the best places to see this beautiful species is at the shore of lake Pukaki, one of the huge lakes created by the construction of dams to provide New Zealand's renewable electricity. We enjoyed a total of six individuals at this site. To get to the exact location where we observed Black Stilts, drive to the Glentanner Airport at the northern shore of Lake Pukaki and take the first gravel road to the right North of the little airstrip. Here is a gate where you can park the car and than follow the gravel road on foot towards Lake Pukaki. At the streams running towards the lake we found five Black Stilts and another one flew past. Unfortunately, this strikes me as another site in New Zealand that might be hard to get to when travelling by public transport and again, hitchhiking might be your best option.

Two adult and two juvenile Black Stilts (Himantopus novaezelandiae)

Other birds observed here included the endangered Black-fronted Tern, who has suffered a similar fate as the Black Stilt, heaps of Paradise Shelducks, White-fronted Heron and some New Zealand Pipits. Interestingly we also observed two dozens of Black-fronted Terns hawking for insects during a snow storm between Twizel and Omarama, so it makes sense to keep you eye out while driving through the area. At Twizel the Black Stilt breeding center can also be visited (12 NZD). We did not visit this breeding center, but it is probably a good experience, plus a visit would actively support the conservation of this species!

Black-fronted Terns (Chlidonias albostriatus) in a very kiwi setting

New Zealand February - June 2015, Haast Pass

Haast Pass within Mount Aspiring National Park is one a last places where the rare and endangered Yellowhead (Mohua) can be observed. Although lately this place has been everything but reliable, portraying how much this species is struggling with the introduced mammalian predators that roam New Zealand. The traditional site for seeing this species was at the Bridle Track, between the parking lot at Highway 6 and the first bridge, but the DOC (Department of Conservation) office in Haast informed us that Makarora, a bit further along the road, might provide some opportunities to see this bird as well. Both places are easily accessed by car and recognizable by DOC signs, but getting to these sites by public transport might prove less easy and hitchhiking may be the best option.

We searched the first part of the Bridle Track for an hour or so, but unfortunately we failed to find any Yellowheads. We did however observe loads of Rifleman, some neat black morphs of New Zealand Fantail and fly-by New Zealand was most welcome too. At Makarora we our efforts were equally unanswered and other birds observed here included Rifleman, Grey Warbler (Grey Gerygone) and New Zealand Pigeon. We enjoyed our time here nevertheless as the forest here is stunning and we even had some snowfall, which certainly added to the fairy-tale-like atmosphere.

The adorable black morph of New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)

New Zealand February - June 2015, Southern West Coast

After the unsatisfying record of Blue Duck (Whio) at the Copland Track, we followed the advice of Ian from Okarito Kiwi Tours, to try to find them at the Blowfly Hut (now called Blue River hut). This hut is located a two to three hours walk from the Haast Highway along the Paringa Track. We walked the track to the hut and had a search at the river, which truly looks like decent Blue Duck habitat. Unfortunately we only found a Great Cormorant. We had a look at the visitors dairy of the hut and it seemed that two groups have come here to look for Blue Ducks within the past two years. Both did not see any. Birds we did observe along the Paring Track included New Zealand Pipit, Tui, Bellbird and Tomtit. Access to the trail head at the Haast Highway may prove difficult by public transport. Again hitchhiking seems like an option...

We had another stop a bit south of the Paringa Track at Lake Moeraki. During a different time of the year, this is a very good site to see Fiordland Crested Penguins. Unfortunately, during this time of year we only observed some Black Swans and Paradise Shelducks at the lake. Ombler mentions Australasian Crested Grebes to be present at this lake, but we did not find any. Access to this lake by public transport is similar to the Paringa track.

Male and female Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata)

A little bit further from Lake Moeraki, we had a quick stop at Knight's Point, as this is supposed to be a good spot to enjoy the stunning coastline of the West Coast. The weather was extraordinary, compared to the previous days and so I scanned the Tasman Sea for a couple of minutes. This resulted in a dozen of "Shy" Albatrosses (probably White-capped Albatrosses) flying past! Two Sooty Shearwaters were also observed. Both species were observed using mere binoculars. I guess this can be a very productive seawatching site, provided the weather is favorable and telescopes are used. Knight's Point might be easier to reach by Public Transport than the other sites, as several busses pulled over while we were here so that tourists could have a short break and soak in the scenery.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Westland National Park

Similar to Paparoa national park (previous post), the reasons for our visit to this area of New Zealand's South Island were mostly the stunning landscapes. This national park, which is also called Tai Poutini national park, is world famous for its two easily accessible glaciers, Frans Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier. When visiting these two glaciers it becomes obvious very quickly that both, but especially Frans Joseph Glacier, are major tourist attractions and helicopters hover over constantly, filled with adventurous tourists. This has its advantages, namely both Frans Joseph and Fox are easily reached from various major cities on the South Island. However this also means that everything is rather expensive here. Despite the two glaciers being the parks main draw, there are some other interesting things that can be done here, including some reasonable bird watching, even though the park hosts no species that cannot be seen somewhere else.

The first site we visited inside this national park was Frans Joseph Glacier. Although the glacier is stunning, as are its moraine fields, the speed of the retreat of the glacier becomes quickly obvious, visualizing the impacts of global change. There were only few birds present in the area and we only noted New Zealand Bellbird, Tomtit, New Zealand Fantail and Silvereye. There also is a wildlife center in Frans Joseph, where most, if not all, Okarito Brown Kiwi's and Haast' Tokoeka's (the Haast subspecies of Southern Brown Kiwi) hatch and spent the first weeks of their lives. The hatcheries can be visited for 50 NZD and it is quite interesting to learn more about the work that is being put into the protection of these species.

Frans Joseph Glacier

Tired, but adorable, two-day-old Okarito Brown Kiwi (Apteryx rowi) chick at Westland Wildlife Center.
Picture taken by Jason Preble. 

The next two days however, we visited an area that held far more birds, including some of great interest. We had decided to do the 18 km Copland Track to the legendary Welcome Flat Hut. The main draw of this hike and the Welcome Flat Hut are the hot pools with a very pleasant temperature that are located just next to the hut. Just like as many places and hikes in the Southern Alps, this site is weather dependent and so do check with the DOC office at either Frans Joseph or Fox. You need to make a reservation for the Welcome Flat Hut with them anyway (camping is 5 NZD and a bunk is 15 NZD). We hiked to the hut within seven hours and enjoyed increasingly beautiful scenery as well as some good birds, including Western Weka, Kaka, Kea, Pipipi, Tomtit and Rifleman. Once we were soaking our tired bodies in the hot springs we truly understood the magnificence of this place. There are not many places where one can enjoy a natural hot spring while Kea are flying over with brilliantly white glaciers in the background. The next day we managed to hike back within five hours, again encountering Western Weka, Kaka, Kea and other forest birds along the track. However we also connected to some extend with a species that I have wanted to see for a long time: Blue Duck (Whio). While hiking the Copland Track, you cross a lot of small streams that seem fit for Blue Ducks, unfortunately we never saw one at these streams and only heard two shrill Whio whistles from the main river, while we were in the forest. Not the sighting I had hoped for. I found out that Scott's Creek, a couple of hours hike further upstream from Welcome Flat Hut is a reliable spot for Blue Ducks in this area, but we did not have the time to attempt this site.

Male Tomtit (Petroica macrocephala)

After this track, we paid Fox Glacier a visit and I must admit that even though this glacier is less frequented by tourists than Frans Joseph Glacier, it stroke me as more impressive. Bird life however was comparably low with just a single New Zealand Fantail noted. Although we heard several Kea in the Fox village in the evening.

I can highly recommend visiting some places in this national park, especially if you are travelling with some non-birders. For hardcore birdwatchers this place might be not worth a stop, but do remember, the scenery is truly stunning. There is a reason why there are so many tourists here.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Paparoa National Park

Famous for its rugged coastline, deep canyons, weirdly shaped pancake rocks and spectacular blowholes, Paparoa national park has become a major tourist attraction on the South Coast, but it rarely appears on the itinerary of birdwatchers. However this does not mean that Paparoa National park has one or two interesting birdwatching sites. To be fair, we did visit this place primarily to enjoy its stunning scenery, but the birdlife did not disappoint either. Being a famous touristic attraction does bring its advantages, and therefore Paparoa National Park can be relatively easily reached by public transport from either Greymouth (45 min) or Westport (45 min). However, once inside the national park or at Punakaiki, getting around may include quite a lot of walking along the main road.

The first place we visited inside the national park were the pancake rocks and the blowholes, which are by far the most frequently visited attraction inside the national park and for a good reason. The pancake rocks are truly other worldly and the blowholes most certainly entertain. High tide is the best time to enjoy the full force of this spectacle. For birdwatchers this site has little more than White-fronted Terns, Spotted Shags and Red-billed Gulls to offer. After having seen the main attraction, we decided to check out several trail heads, just to soak in the landscape of this place a bit more. The trail heads we checked out included the Inland Pack Track, Punakaiki River Track and Bullock Creek Road (see map below). Birds encountered at these sites included Wester Weka, Black-shouldered Lapwing, South Island Robin, Tomtit, New Zealand Fantail, Bellbird and Silvereye.

Western Weka (Gallirallus australis australis) up close. Taking at 17 mm!

Black-shouldered Lapwing (Vanellus (miles) noveahollandiae)

As night fell we drove towards the South, to enjoy one of the major draws of the area for birdwatchers: the Westland Petrel Colonies. This species of Petrel is an endemic breeder to the area and tours to visit one of the few colonies can be booked through Bruce here (50 NZD). While the sun is setting we climbed up a 25 year old (and still very decent!) stairway that was build by Bruce himself until we reached a sheltered viewing podium. We could see the petrels soaring along the hillsides and slowly they started to crash into the forest and made their way to their burrows. We enjoyed close-up views of these big petrels and even had one crash land next to us! It was a great experience and Bruce ensured that everything was as non-invasive on this vulnerable species as possible.

After this amazing experience we decided to drive along the Bullock Creek road to a site where Great Spotted Kiwi can be seen (see map). Even though we already obtained great views of this species at Hawdon Valley, we wanted to check this site out as well. We searched for 45 minutes, but apart from tons of the invasive Brush-tailed Possums, some Morepork and Wester Wekas our searches remained fruitless. It should be noted that that the Bullock Creek road can be subject to severe flooding and we had to maneuver through several streams and puddles to get to the car park at the end. Some British birdwatching friends of ours were not so lucky and got their van stuck on the way there, so come prepared! Visiting the local DOC office to check the weather conditions beforehand is definitely recommended.

Map of Paparoa National Park including Great Spotted Kiwi Site (GSK)

The next day we had a short stroll along the Truman Track and enjoyed some more close-up encounters with Western Weka's as well as more Spotted Shags (hey, they are endemic to New Zealand after all!), White-fronted Terns and Red-billed Gulls at the coast before we headed South again. We left Paparoa National Park behind with a very satisfied feeling, as it is truly a stunning place and we got to enjoy some good bird life here as well.

The rugged coastline of Paparoa National Park alone is reason enough to pay this place a visit!

New Zealand February - June 2015, Okarito

Okarito is a tiny town on the West Coast that lies next to one of New Zealand's largest unspoiled and unmodified wetlands. This is already a reason to be attracted as a birdwatcher to this site. Some good species like Australasian Bittern or Great White Egret (very rare in New Zealand and confined to this area) can be observed here. However the real draw for birdwatchers is the Okarito Brown Kiwi. This is the rarest species of the five currently recognized Kiwi species. Thanks to Ian's Okarito Kiwi Tours  (75 NZD) there is a very realistic chance of seeing this rarity. However, be warned, these tours do fill up quickly, especially in the high season, so make sure to book ahead. Like many other sites, this site is difficult to reach with public transport and hitchhiking might be your best option. Also not that Okarito does not have any shops, so make sure to stock up before you come here.

Before we entered Okarito itself we had a short stroll along the Pakihi Forest walk, as I knew that Fernbirds had been sighted here. Our searches remained fruitless though. We did see several New Zealand Pigeons, Tomtits and Bellbirds here. Later we found out through Ian that we simply had been looking in the wrong area. The best area to look for Fernbirds at the Pakihi Forest walk is the parking lot, not the track itself!

Female Tomtit (Petroica macrocephala)

At Okarito we had a stroll along the Okarito Trig Track, as a sign reported Fernbirds to be reasonably common along the track, but again we found nothing, apart from Tomtits, Bellbirds and Grey Gerygones (Grey Warblers). In the evening we joined Ian's Kiwi tour and it was an experience to remember. Thanks to his very detailed instructions, enthusiasm, intricate knowledge of the both the species as well as the area and his military precision sightings of Okarito Brown Kiwis are almost guaranteed. Of course, the telemetry gear helps a bit too. We were however not prepared for the sighting we got. Oh my, we had a female foraging  on the path, barely 10 cm away from our feet, for more than 10 minutes! Needless to say it was a complete success!

The next day we followed Ian's instructions to connect with the Fernbirds at the Okarito Trig Track. Just like it was the case with the Pakihi walk, we were simply looking in the wrong area. Apparently you just need to walk two minutes on the track and try to look for them just before you head out on the boardwalk crossing a marsh. We played the tape once, and enjoyed brief but very decent sightings of two Fernbirds in the bushes just bordering the marsh!

The boardwalk of the Okarito Trig Track.
Just before you step onto this, look for Fernbirds in the bushes bordering the marsh

After this success we also had a quick look at the Okarito Lagoon from the old boat house and managed to add Great White Egret to our list. Other birds of interest included Caspian Tern, Variable and South Island Oystercatcher.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

I can highly recommend to visit Okarito, to both birders and non-birders. Going on a Kiwi tour with Ian is an experience not to be forgotten and the scenery is stunning, yet different from most places on the South Island. Furthermore, in good weather boat or kayak tours seem like an interesting option to explore the lagoon a bit more.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Otira Gorge

The second site in Arthur's Pass national park of great interest to birdwatchers is the Otira Gorge. The main draw of this site is that it is one of the few easily accessible sites to see Rock Wren. Furthermore it is also known as a spot where Blue Duck (Whio) is regularly seen. Similar to Hawdon Valley, it is a site that might be difficult to reach by public transport, as public buses and trains only stop at Arthur's Pass village and the Otira gorge track starts some km North of the village. It might be possible to walk from the village to the track, but hitchhiking there strikes me as a better option. Perhaps checking transport options with the local DOC office is not a bad idea.

The place to see the Rock Wrens at the Otira Gorge can be seen by walking the Otira Gorge trail to a small metal bridge that crosses the Otira River (roughly 45 minutes to an hour) and to continue another 15 minutes after the bridge. In the area after the bridge there is a large boulder field where some Rock Wrens have there territory. The Blue Ducks can apparently be seen along the entire Otira river and down to the bridge where the main road crosses the Pegleg Creek. There are also regularly seen at the Pegleg Creek itself.

It is fair to say that our visit to this site was a complete failure as we did not see a single native species during our three hour visit to this site. However, this was largely due to the horribly bad weather we had to face while we were out in the gorge. Heavy rains and strong winds blowing down from the mountain ridges were anything but good circumstances to see a bird as tiny as a Rock Wren. Furthermore, the Blue Ducks were nowhere to be found, not on the Otira River, nor on Pegleg Creek. Later we found out why: The pair that had taken residence in this area for over five years does not exist anymore, as the female has been split into three parts by a car... After the loss of its mate the male has moved away from the site. So Pegleg Creek/Otira river is not a site for Blue Duck anymore.

I would still recommend this site to anyone visiting Arthur's Pass national park, as it is still a very scenic place to be and it still hosts Rock Wren in the area. However I would advice you to go here only during good weather. It does not make sense to go up the Gorge in the weather we had, as you will not see anything, and it can quickly become dangerous. Therefore, make sure to check the weather at the DOC office in Arthur's Pass village before you go to the gorge.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Hawdon Valley

Famous for being one of the last three valleys that is still inhabited by the rarest of all New Zealand's bush birds, the Orange-fronted Parakeet (or Malherbe's Parakeet), Hawdon Valley has been at the very top of my to-do list. The Valley is located within the stunning Arthur's Pass National Park, which hosts several other rare species apart from the Orange-fronted Parakeet. Perhaps the second best bird of the park is the rarely seen Great Spotted Kiwi. Ironically this is the biggest and least observed kiwi! Furthermore, Yellowhead is being released here and is apparently doing well. The national park is easily reached from Christchurch by car (2.5 hours), bus (2.5 hours) or train (2.5 hours) or from Greymouth by car (1.5 hours), bus (1.5-2 hours) or train (2 hours). However getting to Hawdon Valley by public transport might prove to be a bit more tricky as the trains and buses only stop in Arthur's Pass village, which is a 15 minute drive North from Hawdon Valley. Perhaps hitchhiking to the turn to Hawdon Valley from the main road is the best option...

Hawdon Valley is not the easiest place to go birdwatching. The site is reasonably remote and any good birding most likely requires camping, long hikes and river crossings. This makes birding Hawdon Valley highly weather dependent, as rivers here can easily flood and thus might cut off your way out, so make sure to check the metservice website or the Arthur's Pass website before you head out there. Even better would be stopping at the DOC (Departement of Conservation) office in Arthur's Pass village before you go to Hawdon Valley to check the weather there. Also there you can let people know that you are hiking up the valley. Furthermore some rangers are reasonably knowledgeable about the local avifauna, so you might get some tips for your searches! 

We considered two strategies for finding the Orange-fronted Parakeets in Hawdon Valley. The first being hiking up the nine km to the new Hawdon Hut at the Northern end of the valley (see map at the bottom of this blogpost) and staying there for one or two nights and doing our searches at this remote side of valley. The second was staying at the Hawdon Shelter at the Southern end of the valley (see map at the bottom of this blogpost)and hiking into the valley each day. After we heard that some heavy showers were expected, we opted for the second strategy, as we did not fancy staying at Hawdon Hutt for several days due to rising river levels. Hawdon Shelter is easily accessed by a gravel road from the main road. Camping here is free and the site has a public toilet. Hawdon Hut is supposed to be a really nice hut and the price for staying here is 15 NZD. 

We arrived in the evening at Hawdon Shelter after we had visited the Arthur's Pass DOC office. We put up our tent and made a small stroll along the trap lines. There are no real tracks in the valley, but DOC has put up a vast trapping grid throughout the valley and the paths along the traps are the easiest way of getting around in the valley. Most are signposted with differently colored triangles. During our first walk around we already saw several Rifleman, South Island Robins, New Zealand Fantails and Grey Warblers (Gerygones). We also heard two Kea flying over. As night fell our expectations rose, as Great Spotted Kiwis can be heard from the Hawdon Shelter. No kiwi was heard on that night, but many Moreporks sang their hearts out and one preformed beautifully for us. This night was especially interesting as a complete lunar eclipse could be seen on that night in New Zealand and the dark skies of Hawdon Valley proved perfect for soaking in this spectacle!

Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae)

A full lunar eclipse or "blood moon"

The next morning we hiked into the valley (red line on the map at the bottom of this blog post). We followed the braided riverbed for about an hour until we saw a big grey cliff on the Eastern side of valley. Here we turned to the West and entered the Beech forest on the Western side of the river. -Many trip reports refer to the right (East) or left (West) side of the river or to the "true" right (West) or "true" left (East) side, which is very confusing in my opinion, therefore I will keep using the East vs. West in this report, so please use the included map for orientation.- Even while walking the open space of the braided river bed we saw some good birds like a young New Zealand Falcon that attempted to catch a Dunnock (introduced) several times, A single Kaka flying over, Several Kea flying over, 

Juvenile New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae)

Once we were inside the forest on the Western side of the river we started looking tags while following a trap line to the North. The Orange-fronted Parakeet team keeps track of the movement of the Parakeets in this valley and they place tags (mostly pink colored) were birds have been seen. We found some tags leading further into the forest so we followed them and played tape regularly. At a certain point a Cyanoramphus parakeet flew in. Our hearts jumped, but alas, it was "just" a Yellow-crowned Parakeet. This is another difficulty of finding Orange-fronted Parakeets: Yellow-crowned Parakeets are also attracted to tape. Furthermore, the extreme similarity of the two species means that very good views are necessary to be certain of the ID of the bird. On the other hand, we noticed that this was the only parakeet that actually showed interest in tape, but perhaps this is different in the actual breeding season. 

Yellow-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps)

Therefore we changed our strategy again. We had heard that Orange-fronted Parakeets tag along in Pipipi (Brown Creeper) flocks during the off-season. So we searched the beech forests for mixed species flocks and Pipipi. We found several flocks containing Pipipi, Rifleman, New Zealand Fantail, South Island Robin and Tomtit and indeed, soon we observed two Cyanoramphus parakeets in a flock! However both turned out to be Yellow-crowned Parakeets... This sighting gave hope that our strategy was the right one nonetheless. We kept to the Western side of the valley and eventually we found several old nests, including one from the 2014-2015 season. Unfortunately our searches remained fruitless, so we crossed the river and started to search the Eastern side.

Pipipi or Brown Creeper (Mohoua novaeseelandia)

South Island Robin (Petroica (australis) australis)

We found the Hawdon Biodiversity Hut, which is located half-way in the valley and is probably used as a base by the Orange-fronted Parakeet team in the breeding season, East of the river. Around the hut we found some tags with recent dates on them, but again our searches were unsuccessful. We tried to find a trap line on the Eastern side, but we only found a very old and overgrown one, making our searches on the Eastern side a bit more difficult. Consequently we only heard a Cyanoramphus parakeet call, but saw none on this side. As we searching was easier on the Western side, we crossed back to that side and searched the the South-western part of the valley, but again, without result, although a very pure looking Grey (Pacific Black) Duck on a small river was noteworthy.

Back at the shelter I wanted to rest my exhausted feet, when a parakeet fell out of the sheer air! I guess it flew down from the mountain close by. It made a couple of rounds above the camp ground and landed in a tree above our tent! What a gift from the Gods! Unfortunately I could not find it in the tree, even though it kept calling. A few extremely stressful minutes passed and stress levels rose even further when someone started chopping wood close by... In the end the parakeet flew out of sight and I was left behind with a mediocre sound recording and no views that would have been useful for identifying the parakeet... What a cruel joke.

-Back home I made the effort to study both Orange-fronted and Yellow-crowned Parakeet calls, as some trip reports and books mention that the species can be identified on call. I found that the sub-units of Yellow-crowned Parakeets are shaped like an asymmetrical inverted "V" with a much shorter second leg. The sub-units of Orange-fronted Parakeets on the other hand are shaped like a symmetrical inverted "U". My recording shows inverted "U" shaped sub-units, suggesting the bird to have been an Orange-fronted Parakeet. This identification was later backed by Brent Stephenson and Paul Scofield. Although this is not a very satisfying way of identifying this species, it is a record nonetheless...-

As it turned dark we waited for calling kiwis and around 20:00 we got lucky and we heard a single Great Spotted Kiwi call series. We headed into the forest, using the diagonal trap line from Hawdon Shelter, towards the call and stopped in the forest to listen for the heavy Kiwi feet moving through the forest. After two minutes we heard the typical sneezing and turned around and there it was! What luck! A female Great Spotted Kiwi just stood there less then 10 meters from us! We enjoyed the sight of it and took some pictures, but we left it alone reasonably quickly as we noticed that it had frozen, probably by our white flashlights. I guess the red light used at all kiwi tours really makes a difference.

Female Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haasti)

The next day we tried again (blue on map), but this time we started inside the forest immediately, staying on the Eastern side, working our way towards a the site where Rob Hutchinson had found an Orange-fronted Parakeet in late 2014. We continued to search for mixed species flocks as well, but we still had no luck, so we crossed the river again. On the Western side we found a big flock, containing a Cyanoramphus parakeet, but again it was a Yellow-crowned Parakeet. We continued to search for a couple of hours on the Eastern side, but eventually we returned to the shelter.

Even though that we had not been successful in getting the views we had hoped for, I would like to point out that late (austral) summer strikes me as a good time to look for these rare parakeets. The river levels were really low and we barely got wet feet as we could cross almost always by skipping from stone to stone. Apparently this is quite different in spring as rivers are very difficult or impossible to cross. This makes late summer definitely a better time to search. On the other hand the parakeets definitely were not responsive... When we headed back to the DOC office in Arthur's Pass village to report our Great Spotted Kiwi sighting, a knowledgeable ranger told us that a good spot to search for both Orange-fronted Parakeet and Yellowhead, is beyond the  DOC Biodiversity Hut on the Eastern side of the valley...

Topographic map of Hawdon Valley.

Red: day one, Blue: day two

OFP: Orange-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi)

YCP: Yellow-crowned Parakeet (Cyanorampus auriceps)

P spec: Parakeet spec (Cyanorampus spec)

GSP: Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haasti)

YH: Yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala)

RH: Rob Hutchinson

DOC: Departement of Conservatio

I can highly recommend birding Hawdon Valley. It filled with pristine forest, the scenery is spectacular (as almost everywhere on the South Island), DOC is doing a lot of pest control and this is reflected in the number of bird and bird species encountered, it holds a number of highly desirable species and the remoteness and wildness only adds to the whole experience. Or at least in my opinion. Furthermore, I would like to thank Rob Hutchinson, Tom Goossens, David Boyle and Alan Lewis for their tips and advice on finding Orange-fronted Parakeets.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Zealandia (night tour)

As promised in a previous post, we paid Zealandia (former Karori Sanctuary) a visit at night, during one of their special (guided) Kiwi Tours. Normally these tours cost 75 NZD, but as we are Zealandia members, we only had to pay 50% of the price, which makes becoming a Zealandia member definitely an economically interesting option. Night tours have to be reserved and paid (with a credit card) in advance through this website. The starting times are different throughout the year, as they are correlated with the time the sun sets.

We started at 19:45 after we had an introduction talk by our guide about the reserve and the work that is being done here. We also received special red-light flashlights from the guides, as you are not allowed to use normal flashlights (or flashes on cameras) in the reserve at night. When we entered the reserve we were just in time to see some diurnal birds as well, like New Zealand Kaka's (which actually are also nocturnal as recent studies have shown!), New Zealand Pigeons, South Island Takahe, New Zealand Scaups and Australian Pied Cormorants.

Just after dusk Moreporks started calling from several places, but as you are not allowed to use playback, the chances of seeing these owls are fairly slim, even though they are quite common within the reserve. Pretty quickly after the sun had set, our guide received information through a walkie-talkie that a Kiwi had been found close by, so we hurried to the site. An yes, there it was, walking through the undergrowth, a Little Spotted Kiwi! We could easily observe it as it was foraging and at a certain point it got scared by a duck and ran towards us and crossed a small bridge, allowing absolutely stunning views of their jolly little walk and head-bobbing! The Little Spotted Kiwi's in Zealandia are reintroduced and originate from Kapiti Island, but they are breeding inside the reserve.

It is very difficult to photograph a Little Spotted Kiwi (Apterix owenii) in the red light of the flashlights. 

A little later we visited some Kaka feeders and found two Brown Teals foraging underneath it. These little nocturnal ducks often venture onto land and into the forest. Here we also observed another Little Spotted Kiwi and we thought of ourselves as very lucky. Little did we know that a few minutes later we would have a third encounter with a very tame (or confused) individual that walked up and down a small bridge and in the end walked into our group and poked the shoe of my friend, passing just centimeters in front of me! Two New Zealand Long-finned Eels, which measured up to one meter, venturing onto land from a small stream, some Cave Weta's and quite some glow worms emitting blue (not greenish as I am used to) light finished the tour very nicely.
I can highly recommend this tour to everybody. It is an amazing experience to see a Kiwi, but the other wildlife that can also be seen at Zealandia, make it an even more special night out!

New Zealand February - June 2015, Waikanae Estuary

After visiting Kapiti Island, it seemed to me like a good idea to combine the visit to the island with a short visit to the Waikanae estuary. It is located a couple of km to the north of Paraparaumu and I figured we could walk there. The area struck me as interesting as I found some old sightings of Banded Dotterel, Wrybill and Shore plover (probably stray individuals from the Mana Island reintroduction project) from this area.

The walk from the Paraparaumu boat club was much longer than anticipated and it was rather hot. As we arrived on the southern part of the estuary we checked out the sand bars and observed some White-headed Stilts, Variable Oystercatchers and White-faced Herons, next to the ever present Kelp and Red-billed Gulls. We could also see some Fluttering Shearwaters flying over the ocean. We entered the Scientific Reserve and followed the tracks, but did not see that many birds, but some Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) were entertaining. Once we reached the Waikanae River we saw that the northern side of the estuary looked more promising and so we went further inland to find a bridge to cross the river. On the Northern Side of the estuary we observed some interesting species like Royal Spoonbill, Paradise Shelduck, Australian Shoveler, Grey Teal, New Zealand Scaup and White-headed Stilt. However, I somehow imagined it to be a more interesting birding site.

White-headed Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)

I would not recommend to go all the way here from Wellington, even though it is easily accessible, nor would I recommend to combine a visit to Kapiti Island with this site. The birds and the area were simply not that interesting. Manu Watu estuary sounds like a much more interesting place and might be a better guess when you want to see some shore and wetland birds in the south of the North island.

New Zealand February - June 2015, Kapiti Island

Kapiti Island is an island sanctuary a little to the North of Wellington. It is famous for being the last place where Little Spotted Kiwi occurs naturally, while it got wiped out every else. However nowadays Little Spotted Kiwis have been translocated to various other off shore islands and some land island on the main North Island too. Kapiti Island is still a very interesting place to go to as it harbors loads of native bird species, of which some of them have been introduced to the predator free sanctuary like the rare Kokako. There are three companies that offer tours to the island: Kapiti Island Nature Tours, Kapiti Tours and Kapiti Marine Charter. We chose to use the latter, as this company is the only company that offers student discounts and they appear to spend more time on the island than the other companies. A day trip costs around 75 NZD (60 NZD with student discount at Kapiti Marine Charter), but guided tours cost extra. There is also the option to stay overnight with Kapiti Island Nature Tours to see Kiwis, but this will cost you around 350 NZD and was to expensive for our taste. There are two places on Kapiti where the boats land: Rangatira and North End. The difference between the two is that Rangatira has better forest apparently and therefore more forest birds, while North End is a better place to see shore and wetland birds. We chose for Rangatira, as there is a bigger chance to see the rare Kokako here.

All tours start from Paraparaumu and we reached this little town by public transport from Wellington (one way 9.50 to 11.50 NZD). We took a train around 06:00 and arrived around 07:00 in Paraparaumu. From Paraparaumu train station it takes roughly an hour walk to get to the boating club, where the boat leaves. After the bio-security check (check your bags and disinfect your walking shoes) we were ready to go to the island. As soon as we were in the water Fluttering Shearwaters appeared all around us and allowed very good views! Some White-fronted Terns and a single Spotted Shag were also nice. Occasionally Australian Gannets, Sooty Shearwaters and Common Diving-petrels are observed here as well and probably even rarer species can turn up, so keep your eyes open! Once you are on the island you will hear Tui and New Zealand Bellbird everywhere, but first you will have to listen to a little talk about the island and its birds.There are two tracks you can take from Rangatira point to the top of the island (521 m). The Wilkinson track and the Trig track, which is a little less neat than the Wilkinson track. Furthermore you are not supposed to take the Trig track down. So we walked the Trig track up and the Wilkinson track down.

Map of Rangatira point, Kapiti Island. The little Kokako stickers show where they have been seen regularly. I added our sighting as well.

As soon as we got started we encountered our first Wekas. These flightless rails are a common sight on this island. They are not shy at all and they will try to get at your food as will some Kakas! At the grasslands we also observed a single New Zealand Pipit. Once in the forest we saw loads of native species including Red-crowned Parakeet, New-zealand Pigeon, North Island Saddleback, North Island Robin, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird (which are extremely common here), Stitchbird (which are commonly seen around the two feeders, but are rare elsewhere inside the forest), New Zealand Fantail and Whitehead. Tomtit is apparently also present on the island, but we found none. A real highlight was seeing a Long-tailed Koel. They must be getting ready to fly North by now! Another real highlight was seeing a Kokako. This species was the main reason for me to pay this island a visit as there are around 32 pairs of Kokako here. We found a single individual, a juvenile with purple wattles. almost at the top. Unfortunately we did not hear any of the haunting, far-carrying calls, that are so typical of this species. The sighting however made me extremely happy still!

North Island Weka (Gallirallus australis scotti) approaching

Long-tailed Koel (Urodynamis taitensis)

Male Stitchbird or Hihi (Notiomystis cincta)

Singing New Zealand Bellbird (Anthornis melanurus). A common sound on Kapiti Island

On our way back at around 15:00 the Fluttering Shearwaters were present in much lower numbers, but we got treated with some really nice views of Short-snouted Common Dolphins, who played in our wake! What a way to end this already very successful trip!

Part of a pod of Short-snouted Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis)

I highly recommend a visit to this island sanctuary. Even though many species present here can be simply seen in Zealandia, some are not present in Zealandia like Weka, Kokako and Tomtit. Furthermore, the crossing offers some opportunities to see some sea wildlife. Also, the species composition differs from Zealandia, with New Zealand Bellbird being the most common species on Kapiti, while Tui is more numerous in Zealandia. So, don't compare the two and just visit both!

New Zealand February - June 2015, Zealandia

When spending some time in the capitol of New Zealand, Wellington, a visit to Zealandia, the former Karori Reserve is a must. It is a 225 hectare land island established by putting up an innovative fence, intensive predator control and reintroducing loads of native species. All native birds are currently doing well, except for the Australian Shoveler, the Weka and the Tomtit, which have died out inside the reserve due to various reasons. Have a look at their very informative website here and their comprehensive species list here. The reserve is easily reached on foot from Central Wellington, but busses stop in front of the entrance as well. When nearing Zealandia you can already see New Zealand Kaka's fly over the valley, New Zealand Pigeons perching on the trees and  you can hear Tui's calling from everywhere; a great entree! The entrance is 17.50 NZD for adults and 9 NZD for adults, which includes a visit to the very nice exhibition, where you can even see a specimen of the extinct Huia! When entering the park, bags should be checked for plants or animals that might accidentally be introduced into the park. Note that the following report is only based on a single visit to the recommended route and that there are tracks leading much deeper into the reserve.

Singing Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae)

The Zealandia fence

As soon as you are through the fence you can see the lower reservoir where we enjoyed close views of Paradise Shelducks, New-zealand Scaups, Welcome Swallows and the first "Grallards" (Pacific Black Duck X Mallard hybrids), which were commonly seen throughout the reserve. There is also a small area here that shows some Wellington Green Gecko's in a terrarium. Look out for these cool fellows as they do occur in the wild inside the reserve! Further along the reservoir there is a small cormorant colony and four species of cormorant are commonly seen inside the reserve, but we also enjoyed great views of a juvenile Brown Teal here! Close to the cormorant colony, there is a smaller fenced area inside the big fenced area. This area holds two individuals of South Island Takahe and they allowed spectacular views and even approached us! What medieval creatures!

Juvenile Brown Teal (Anas Chlorotis)

South Island Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri)

Further inside the forest New Zealand Fantail, North-island Saddleback, North-island Robin (which is often so tame that one hopped onto my foot and tried to eat my shoelace!), Tui and Silvereye are common. Whitehead and Grey Gerygone (Grey Warbler) were also observed inside the forest, but less not so often However some other native birds are easier to find at the feeders, where they receive supplementary food. At their feeders New Zealand Kaka's can be seen very well. We also observed how several species tried to get to the Kaka food, like New Zealand Bellbird, Stitchbird (Hihi) and Brown Teal! The same goes for the Red-crowned Parakeets (Kakariki), they can be seen flying through the forest occasionally, but at their feeders they are not so shy. Unfortunately the Stitchbirds were not present at all at their feeders and consequently we were very happy to have seen them before at the Kaka feeders!

North Island Robin (Petroica (australis) longipes) inspecting my shoe. Image taken by Jason Preble.

North-island Saddleback (Philesturnus rufusater)

Whitehead (Mohoua albicilla)

North Island Kaka (Nestor meriodinalis septentrionalis)

Red-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae noveaezelandiae)

At the upper dam some more New Zealand Scaups and Paradise Shelducks were present, but we also got lucky with seeing a vulnerable New Zealand Grebe, which had apparently not been sighted here before! A bit later, at the Tuatara Research Area, we got lucky again: a Long-tailed Koel came flying by! Apparently a difficult species and only a rare visitor here! At the Tuatara Research Area we had very entertaining views of these unique reptiles and saw some young ones with a much more contrasting pattern on their back too. We also saw a single Common Skink inside the Tuatara Research Area, but I guess it was not specifically placed here.

Adult Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

Summing it all up: Zealandia is an experience not to be missed in Wellington. As I will be staying quite some time in this "coolest little capitol of the world" I will most likely write some more post on Zealandia. Especially as there are night tours as well to sea Little Spotted Kiwi! Watch this space!