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.