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.