New Zealand; Day 2 - Arthur's Pass National Park

  I had a busy day planned, so it did not help that I slept terribly with the wind battering the tent throughout the night and my jetlag kicking in so that I was well awake two hours before light. Still, what better place to wake up than the beautiful Hawden Valley in the Arthurs Pass National Park. Already before dawn a Morepork was singing although I did not try to find it.

  The birding in the valley was very enjoyable, although it took me a good hour to find the right trail. Once I had managed this however the birds, although low in abundance, were extremely confiding and South Island Robin, Tomtit and New Zealand Fantail all showed phenomenally well, especially the Robin which would hop around my feet. Grey Gerygone, New Zealand Bellbird, Silvereye and then the tiny Rifleman were also present, although less confiding. Rifleman was a species I really wanted to find at this site, to relieve pressure later in the trip, and throughout the morning I encountered four individuals.

  At 11:00 in the morning I headed back to camp and packed up, heading to Arthurs Pass village for some supplies before continuing onto the Otira Pass. Sadly at this point, the morning, which had been blustery throughout, finally turned to torrential rain, so I decided to stop in the village for lunch at a small café there. As I was leaving, the rain continuing to fall, a photographer pointed out a Kea sitting on the roof of the coffee shop across the road. A bird I was desperate to see, I was thrilled at being able to see one at such close range, as it preened itself under the overhang, trying to keep out of the rain.

  I birded the Otira Valley, but in the rain it was futile and I saw nothing. At a loose end now, I decided to return early to the Hawden Valley and bird again in the afternoon. This worked well as it was not raining at this end of the National Park. In addition to more of the species I had seen in the morning, I also found the Yellow-crowned Parakeet, which showed nicely on the forest edge. Not the rarer of the two species in the valley here, but still not common and a nice way to offset the damage done by the weather.

  At night, once I had put up my tent in the Hawden Valley Campsite, I was serenaded by another Morepork and this time got flight views of the bird as it passed me by, closing out an excellent first-day birding in New Zealand. 

Species List:
Arthur’s Pass National Park: Paradise Shelduck, Kelp Gull, Great Cormorant, Swamp Harrier, Morepork, New Zealand Falcon, Kea, Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Rifleman, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, New Zealand Fantail, Tomtit, South Island Robin, Silvereye, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, House Sparrow, New Zealand Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer,