New Zealand; Day 20 - Lake Ellesmere & Departure

 It doesn’t feel that long since I arrived in New Zealand, and yet today would be my final day in this wonderful country. My flight did not depart until the evening, so I had a final morning but knew it would have to be something near to Christchurch. As such, I decided to return to Haasts Creek on the south shore of Lake Ellesmere, less than an hours drive from the airport. My plan was to try again for the Spotless Crake that I had heard on my previous visit, only this time it would be early morning and hopefully I would be more successful.

I walked the 10 minutes along Haasts Creek to the platform where the bird hide had once stood, to try my luck once again with the tape to see if the Crake would come out. It took some time for the bird to respond, and then it did not come with a call that I had on the Merlin App, which threw me for a time. Yet despite this and the bird coming extremely close, I could not get it to come out for me to see it. It was a frustrating encounter.

As such I switched up my tactics and moved to a dried up pool just round the corner from the platform. Here it was more open and after a little playback the bird started to move towards me again. And then, finally, I spotted it climbing over the reeds. I was shocked by how large the bird was, as I had expected a small crake like in South America, but this was much bigger. Although it showed well it did not sit out in the open for extended periods and taking photos was a nightmare. In the end I do not think I managed a single sharp photo, but I got enough to remember the encounter after all the effort I put in.

For the rest of the morning I stood on the platform and scanned the wetland peering over the reeds. The composition of birds was very similar to my last visit, but as I scanned I was shocked to pick out another crake on the far side, feeding in the open on the edge of the reeds. The distance and the heat haze made it difficult to work out, but the brown back clearly extended up the neck onto the head, and at times you could make out the white spots on the back, making this a Baillon’s Crake, a brilliant bonus bird for my trip. It continued to feed out in the open for some time, and at one point was even joined by a second individual.

There were plentiful other birds in the area as well. Once again there were flybys from the Royal Spoonbills, sometimes showing nicely. Additionally there were ample Pied Stilts on the edge of the mud. Walking along the trails there were plenty of extremely tame New Zealand Fantails once again, making for a very pleasant mornings birding.

I finished off my morning at 11:00 and headed back to the campsite to arrange my items. Once sorted I undertook the half hour drive to the airport, stopping to fill up the car, and the dropped the car back off. At 13:00 I was in the airport, drawing to a close my three week New Zealand adventure, what a brilliant time and a brilliant country! 

New Zealand; Day 19 - Kaikoura

 Today was going to be a busy day! With yesterdays Whale Watching Trip cancelled, I had rescheduled it for this afternoon, as well as my already booked Albatross Encounter in the morning which would a boat trip focussing on seabirds. As I had feared, the drop in the wind had taken its toll on the number of birds passing, but this was my chance to get close to the seabirds I had watched from the shore the previous day.

The Albatross Encounter set off at 09:15 with the morning blue skies, and over the next two hours I had brilliant close encounters with a number of seabirds. The first species was a brilliant Gibsons Antipodean Albatross which dominated the chum, fighting off a raft of Northern Giant Petrels and a single Southern Giant Petrel. At the back sat a few Salvin’s Albatross as well as around 40 Cape Petrels. Having only managed to see a single individual in all my Seawatching the previous day, I could not believe how many Cape Petrels there were, with them coming extremely close to feed, and also flying next to us while we were in transit. Another nice bonus was a Antipodean Albatross sporting a satellite tag and leg ring, and individual that our guide said they see only a few times a year whos partner was sat on eggs on their nest. Passing by were a few Bullers Shearwaters and Huttons Shearwater, but the calm conditions were clearly causing a few problems, and we also found a small group of four Westlands Petrels sat on the water, giving me a chance to look at this target species. On the way back we also had a solitary Little Penguin.

Although the seabirds were amazing, the show was absolutely stolen by a pod of around 10 Dusky Dolphins. As we came out of harbour we could see the animals a little way off with their fins frequently protruding from the calm water. However, when we started chumming in deep water we had an incredible encounter when they approached us, so close you could see them swimming under the boat and felt their bow-waves shaking the vessel. One animal decided to go a little crazy and we saw it breach about five times in a row, throwing itself out of the water. It was awesome to witness.

Once back on shore, I had just over an hour to wait before my Whale Watching Tour. I had mainly booked it as an excuse to get back out into the sea, while I might also see some Sperm Whales, the key species for the Kaikoura whale watching industry. The boat out to the deep water was rough, but it was a large vessel with a lot of people on board, much more so than the mornings small intimate boat.

Once we reached the deep water, there was immediately an announcement that there was a whale just off the boat, so everyone got ready on deck and eagerly awaited. Although the animal was initially identified as a Sperm Whale, when it reappeared the ID was quickly corrected to a BLUE WHALE! Of all the species to see on this trip, the largest animal in the world was not one of them. And not only did we see, but we saw it extremely well, with the boat following the whale for around 45 minutes as it surfaced for a few minutes, then dived for 15 before reappearing. At one point it surfaced right next to us, giving absolutely unbelievable views of a quite incredible animal.

Since the tour was only two hours in the deep water, after a while with the Blue Whale we switched targets, and sure enough quickly found a surfacing Sperm Whale. After a deep dive, the Sperm Whale was resting at the surface, so we were able to watch it for some time, before it turned and dived, bringing its tail right out of the water for us to see. This was the species I had thought we would see, and we got phenomenal views. Add in the incredible surprise of Blue Whale and it was an incredible whale watching experience. There were just a few seabirds on offer, but it was nice to see some Bullers Shearwaters and White-chinned Petrels.

The tour finished at 16:45 at which point I had a three hour drive down to a campsite at Lake Ellesmere where I wanted to spend the night. Additionally, some NZ birders on the Albatross Encounter had given me a location for Black-fronted Dotterel behind a MacDonalds just north of Christchurch. Since it was such a short detour I made a stop as I passed, and to my surprise the third bird I looked at was indeed a very nice Black-fronted Dotterel, sitting on the near shore of one of the lagoons. Thrilled with that result, I continued south ecstatic with how the day had gone, ready to throw myself into one final days birding. 

-Blue Whale

-Sperm Whale

-Dusky Dolphin

New Zealand; Day 18 - Kaikoura

  I had two days in the small town of Kaikoura to enjoy one of the best seabird locations in the world, with a couple of trips planned out to sea as well as plenty of time watching from headlands, where I hoped to use what I learned while out at sea from shore. Filled with excitement, I got up at first light and headed to the Kaikoura headland and was there to witness the throngs of seabirds flying past. It was quite the spectacle, but I could see why this was the case, and that was the dramatic seastate. For that reason it was not a surprise when I received a text message from my Whale Watching Trip in the afternoon that it had been cancelled. This was a sad development, as I could see all the birds passing by, but there was nothing I could do apart from reschedule for tomorrow and hope for the best.

  Despite this, I still enjoyed a brilliant few hours birding from the headland, with new birds for me in the form of Huttons Shearwater and Bullers Shearwater. But that was just the birds I could identify that were new, with throngs of Albatrosses passing by, Giant Petrels close in shore and black petrels that could be either White-chinned Petrels or Westlands Petrels. Despite not being able to identify many of the birds, it was certainly a spectacle to witness.

  By late morning things had slowed a little, so I headed south along the coast to Goose Bay in order to try to find Dusky Dolphin. On the way, just at the north end of the bay I could see masses of birds feeding offshore, which on closer inspection were mostly Silver Gulls and White-fronted Terns. However, all this excitement made me think that Dolphins could be in the area, and sure enough so it transpired, with a pod of around 30 Dusky Dolphins soon making an appearance. They were a lot of fun, frequently jumping out of the water but always distant. In the end, they moved further away, but I had got brilliant views through the scope.

  Satisfied with my day, I headed back to my campsite mid-afternoon on the way checking a few of the river mouths in the area for anything interesting. The first, the Kahutara River Mouth had plenty of birds, but nothing super different. The highlight was probably a group of close Pied Stilts feeding, or a family of Californian Quails I flushed when I pulled into the car park. The next river mouth, the Kowhai, had much fewer birds but a good number of Black-fronted Terns roosting on the shingle. I was able to creep very close to some of these birds, including a very tidy juvenile bird.

  In the evening, after a nap, I headed back to the headland for some evenings Seawatching. By now the wind had dropped and so there were fewer birds passing. Still I was able to pick up some more bits, including my first Cape Petrel, a species I had been looking for throughout the whole trip but not managed to spot until now. With winds forecast to drop tomorrow, fingers crossed I can make it out on a boat and get closer to some of these awesome species. 

-New Zealand Fur Seal

-Dusky Dolphin

Species List:
Kaikoura: Canada Goose, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, California Quail, Feral Pigeon, Pied Stilt, South Island Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing, Double-banded Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Parasitic Jaeger, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Black-fronted Tern, White-fronted Tern, Northern Royal Albatross, Southern Royal Albatross, Shy Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Cape Petrel, Buller's Shearwater, Hutton's Shearwater, Australasian Gannet, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Shag, Australian Pied Cormorant, Pacific Reef Heron, White-faced Heron, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, Eurasian Skylark, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, 

New Zealand; Day 17 - Lake Ellesmere

  Having reached Dunedin the previous night, I still had a long drive ahead of me to get to the areas I wanted to today. As such, I left Dunedin quite early, at around 07:30 and began the long drive north. The road, the number one highway, is a single lane for the most part and it only passes through flat, dry agricultural land with very little going on and almost no native vegetation. It truly was a bleak landscape.

  At midday I finally reached my first destination, a bird hide on the south side of Lake Ellesmere known as Hart’s Creek. It was quite amazing to find that the bird hide had apparently been removed, leaving just a small platform that only barely peeked over the reedbed into the lake beyond. Still, I spent an hour birding here and had a few nice bits, including another Sacred Kingfisher, a flyover Spoonbill and some very confiding New Zealand Fantails. I tried playback for some crake species, and heard two calls from Spotless Crake, but alas I could not see the bird.

  Just a little up the road, on the north side of Lake Ellesmere 20 minutes away, was a good spot to try to find Wrybill, my last main target species for my itinerary here. It was still early afternoon so decided to try explore. It took a short while to work out the area, but walking down to the shoreline I spotted a group of 52 roosting Wrybill in the vegetation. Having missed out on them at Lake Pukaki and the Tawai Estuary, this was a huge relief.

  By crawling, I was able to get very close to the birds and was very happy with my encounter. They did not flush at all, preferring to comically hop away on just one leg. Sometimes though they would just sit and carry on preening. It was extremely windy so presumably, they didn't want to move around too much. In the middle of the flock I also had a very nice summer plumaged Red-necked Stint, which was not nearly as confiding and quickly ran off into the short grass when I tried to approach.

  Wrapped up just before 15:00, I set off from Lake Ellesmere north, with three more hours driving ahead of me to reach the coastal town of Kaikoura. This destination is extremely popular with tourists trying to see Whales and Dolphins, as well as seabirds, so it promises to be an exciting couple of days. Although I arrived at 18:00, I was exhausted and rain quickly followed my arrival. Consequently, I ate some dinner then headed straight to the tent.

-Yellow Admiral

Species List:
Harts Creek: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Black Swan, Paradise Shelduck, Australasian Shoveler, Mallard, New Zealand Scaup, Australasian Swamphen, Pied Stilt, Kelp Gull, Little Pied Cormorant, Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier, Sacred Kingfisher, Grey Gerygone, Australian Magpie, New Zealand Fantail, Welcome Swallow, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, Eurasian Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch,
Embankment Road: Black Swan, Grey Teal, Pied Stilt, South Island Oystercatcher, Double-banded Plover, Wrybill, Red-necked Stint, Kelp Gull, Royal Spoonbill, Australian Magpie, Eurasian Skylark, Welcome Swallow, Common Starling, Yellowhammer, 

New Zealand; Day 16 - Bluff Shark Experience & Otago Peninsula

  After Saturdays disappointment with the Great White Sharks, the previous day I had left and then returned to the town of Bluff to give it another attempt, thanks to the companies ‘no shark free return’ policy. Sadly the day did not start well, with heavy rain and winds making it difficult to sleep overnight in the tent, followed by the challenge of taking down a soggy tent at 06:00 in the morning, while the wind and rain continued to lash around you.

  Then I discovered that no sharks had been seen on Sunday, which meant Saturdays brief individuals were the last sharks seen by the company. Not a good omen to begin the day with. Nevertheless the days clients all boarded the vessel and set out across the Foveaux Strait. The crossing was extremely rough, with strong winds and high waves making it quite unpleasant; many people came down with seasickness. The increased winds meant many more birds, but the bouncing boat made identifying them a nightmare. Of interest, I was able to pick out a Cook’s Petrel and a nice surprise with a Grey-backed Storm-Petrel, which got up off the sea in front of us clearly showing its grey rump, before darting off over the waves.

  Once we arrived in the area for the sharks, the island offered some shelter and the sea was less dramatic. The rain finally had stopped and we set about waiting for a shark. Fortunately, after delaying my itinerary by a couple of days, we did not have to wait super long. Frustratingly the first shark came during the training of the new divers, which meant I was the last person in the cage to see it, having already done my diving instruction on Saturday. It was a tense wait, hoping that the shark would linger, but it all worked out nicely, as the animal was still around when I entered, finally easing all my worries leading up to the event.

  For the next two and a half hours, the boat was entertained by no less than three different Great White Sharks. The largest, and first individual, was a very impressive 3.4 metres long, with the other two being slightly smaller, probably around 3.1 metres long. They were quite chilled out circling the boat and swimming around the cage, only occasionally making a move for the decoys that were there. In total I entered the cage three times to observe the sharks, probably totally about 50 minutes cumulatively, before the cold determined that our day on the sea would be concluded.

  Whilst in the cage the sharks approached close multiple times, allowing us to see all the detail on the animals as they passed. It was incredible that you could watch a shark swim past you and out of sight, only for another to then appear just a matter of seconds later beneath you, or emerging from the gloom. After the disappointment of Saturday, to get to witness three different animals for such prolonged periods was a real pleasure.

  The journey back was even rougher than the journey going out, with the sea hurling the boat around. It was impossible to try and do any birding in these conditions, with a flyby adult Australasian Gannet being the only thing of note that it was possible to identify without using binoculars. The fact that the sharks performed so well in the morning, coupled with the forecast of gale-force winds in the afternoon, meant that we returned to shore quite quickly after lunch, and this gave me the time I needed to head back to Dunedin, to stay a final night with Ben and Hannah.

  Once on the road, I realised I would have a small amount of time in Dunedin before dark, so I decided to drive out to the Otago Penninsula and look at the North Royal Albatross colony there. The birds can be seen from the car park, without entering the colony itself, so that is what I decided to do. In the hour I spent there, I saw at least two birds regularly flying over the colony, and sometimes even directly over the car park, in the early evening gloom. It was a very pleasant final hour, with a nice bonus species of Northern Giant Petrel sat on the sea, and of course a Royal Spoonbill flying south for good measure.

  Although an exhausting day, it was extremely productive and enjoyable, with the trips number one target finally seen at the second time of asking. What a brilliant day out, an excellent way to kick off the final week in New Zealand. 

-Great White Shark

Species List:
Bluff Shark Experience: Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Black-fronted Tern, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin, Buller's Albatross, Shy Albatross, Grey-backed Storm Petrel, Cook's Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Australasian Gannet,
Taiaroa Head: Feral Pigeon, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Northern Royal Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Spotted Shag, Otago Shag, Royal Spoonbill, Welcome Swallow, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, 

New Zealand; Day 15 - Bluff & Awarua Bay

  After the unfortunate shark development the previous day, today would mostly be spent driving; first from the town of Bluff back to Dunedin, with Ben and Hannah, before I then said my farewells and drove myself back down to Bluff to be ready for the next days shark reattempt. Sadly this meant little time for birding, and I finally arrived back in Bluff at around 18:00, having left at 11:00.

  Still, because I arrived back in a reasonable time, I decided to have a short couple of hours birding the Tiawi Estuary again, but this time the north side of the estuary, birding specifically the northeast corner to see what waders I could find on the mud there. There was not too much difference, but five Royal Spoonbills were nice and there was a pleasant surprise with a nearly summer plumage Pacific Golden Plover. And there was a new bird for me here as well, as I finally got to grips with the Sacred Kingfisher, and its New Zealand endemic subspecies, with an individual perching very nicely on the wires above the road.

  So despite the long day and long drive, it came good in the end with a few nice birds seen and being ideally placed for the following days repeat attempt to see Great White Shark.

Species List:
Awarua Bay: Canada Goose, Black Swan, Mallard, South Island Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Pacific Golden Plover, Masked Lapwing, Double-banded Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Foveaux Shag, White-faced Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier, Sacred Kingfisher, Grey Gerygone, Australian Magpie, New Zealand Fantail, Eurasian Skylark, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, New Zealand Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, 

New Zealand; Day 14 - Bluff Shark Experience

  Today was scheduled to be not only the highlight of the trip, but probably the highlight of the year. Today was the day that we would go out with the Bluff Shark Experience to see and cage-dive with Great White Sharks. We awoke early, arrived at the office at 06:45, took the boat across to the area where we were spending the day, did the training with the equipment and then spent around six hours waiting. Maddeningly a shark was seen by the experienced divers while we were doing our training, but sadly it moved off pretty quick and it was not seen again, resulting in a sharkless day for us. To really rub salt in the wounds, I was seasick for the first time ever, hurling vomit over the side of the boat as soon as I put on the wetsuit. Not ideal conditions at all. 

  It was not a complete loss however, as the weather was glorious and there were some birds to be seen. The boat across had plenty of Common Diving Petrels and Little Penguins, as well as my first Pterodroma of the trip and a lifer for me in the form of Cooks Petrel, of which three flew past. While waiting for the shark we had a nice close Shy Albatross entertain us, offering incredible views as it tried to dabble for the chum. And from the shark cage, it was possible to see all varieties of different fish. 

  Fortunately the company offers a 365-day return voucher for those who don’t see sharks, and as such I rebooked to try again on Monday, hopefully with a little more success this time around. 

Species List:
Bluff Shark Experience: Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Black-fronted Tern, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin, Shy Albatross, Cook's Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Spotted Shag, Foveaux Shag, 

New Zealand; Day 13 - Stewart Island

  Since we had been so successful on Stewart Island there was nothing to target for this final morning. Still, I wanted to try and see the Fiordland Penguins out of the water, so I decided to try again early morning for the birds supposedly moulting in one of the small coves near Oban. Despite this, I was still not able to see any birds, and when we left the island on the ferry, my first real chance to look properly into the cave, it looked like there were no birds in there. It looked like they had finished their moult and dispersed. Still, it was nice to be out and about on the island early morning, with Tui and New Zealand Pigeon both being very common and conspicuous.

  For the rest of the morning, exhausted from my recent hikes, we relaxed around Oban before taking the ferry back across to the mainland. Before boarding the ferry, we found a fledgling Tui sat by the side of the road, so carefully moved it up into the bushes, where it continued to be attended by the adults. The ferry journey was choppier than last time, and there was a noticeable increase in overall number of birds. Most of the birds were Sooty Shearwaters, which numbered in excess of 100 individuals. Common Diving Petrel was also quite common, with at least 20 individuals seen. However, overall diversity was much lower and the albatross count was well reduced, although a Bullers Albatross flying close was a nice bonus.

  In the afternoon and evening we relaxed in our AirBnB in Bluff, in preparation for another long day out tomorrow. 

Species List:
Stewart Island Ferry: New Zealand Pigeon, Variable Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin, Buller's Albatross, Shy Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Spotted Shag, Foveaux Shag, Welcome Swallow, 

New Zealand; Day 12 - Stewart Island & Ulva Island

  Today would be our only full day on Stewart Island, or more accurately in the Raikoura National Park, since for the morning we had arranged a charter to the nearby predator-free Ulva island, which is home to a number of target birds. This plan saw us through until early afternoon, and meant we got to walk through an area of pristine coastal forest surrounded by beautiful beaches and other stunning islands.

  We made our way across from Golden Bay Wharf and arrived on Ulva Island itself at around 09:00.  This early in the morning we found the trails lively with birds, and we quickly started to see common species I had become familiar with over the last few days. Red-crowned Parakeet was nice to see well after yesterdays flyovers, and at the end of the afternoon I had a nice Yellow-crowned Parakeet as well. Kaka flew over multiple times during the morning, and at one point there was one playfully feeding low in the canopy allowing excellent views. The usual assortment of Tomtit, South Island Robin and New Zealand Fantail also entertained us during the day.

  There were two key targets for me on the island; the South Island Saddleback and the Yellowhead. Thanks to some information I was given by Dan Pointon I knew he had seen Saddleback on the edge of Sydney Beach, so that was where we went. No sooner had we arrived than I spotted a Saddleback feeding on fruits in a small tree. A huge relief as it was a bird I feared I would miss. The bird quickly moved, as did we when a large bull New Zealand Sea-Lion started chasing us, but throughout the morning we saw a minimum total of six Saddleback, involving probably two family groups. Yellowhead took a little longer but eventually turned out to be very common and we were treated to some excellent views throughout the morning.

  Once back on Stewart Island, I decided to explore the coast to the north of Oban, in the vague hope of finding Fiordland Penguin. Again, Dan Pointon had explained how to see a group of moulting birds on a small island in one of the small coves, but despite how hard I tried I could not see into the cave they were residing in, at least not enough to see if there were Penguins in it. Despite this, I decided to carry on round to Horseshoe Point to see if there were any other birds around, and after waiting half an hour there I was thrilled when a Fiordland Penguin swam past, surfacing a total of three times before I lost it. An absolutely brilliant bonus bird for my time here on Stewart Island. And as I walked back, early evening, I had my first Bullers Albatross in the harbour, although very distant from where I was viewing.

  In the evening we tried to see the Little Penguins coming in to roost off the jetty in Oban itself but sadly nothing happened by dark. Still, a flock of 120 Bar-tailed Godwit flew over us heading into the island, and a Morepork was singing near the jetty. It was a very pleasant evening. 

Species List:
Stewart Island: Mallard, New Zealand Pigeon, Variable Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin, Fiordland Penguin, Buller's Albatross, Shy Albatross, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Shag, Australian Pied Cormorant, Foveaux Shag, White-faced Heron, New Zealand Kaka, Red-crowned Parakeet, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, New Zealand Fantail, Tomtit, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Lesser Redpoll,
Ulva Island: New Zealand Pigeon, Variable Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Little Penguin, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Shag, Australian Pied Cormorant, Foveaux Shag, New Zealand Kaka, Red-crowned Parakeet, Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, Yellowhead, Pipipi, New Zealand Fantail, South Island Saddleback, Tomtit, South Island Robin,

New Zealand; Day 11 - Awarua Bay & Stewart Island

  After yesterdays success, but with the light fading, I wanted to try again for the South Island Dotterel in Tiwai. I left our motel at six and drove the half hour there, before walking the additional twenty minutes to the location I saw the birds yesterday, just in time for the first light to break through. It was a little more sluggish than the previous evening, but the tide began to fall soon enough and birds began to arrive. The complexion of the arriving birds was much the same as the previous day, although the Spoonbill did not return. The South Island Dotterel did indeed return, 15 of them in fact, but only at 08:10 when I had to leave at 08:30. Still I was able to record many colour rings and take more photos in better light, although the birds were not as confiding as they were the previous day, but still pretty confiding.

  Today we would take the ferry across to Stewart Island, a beautiful pristine island home to several rare and threatened birds which I was looking forward to seeing. The ferry across would take an hour, and departed from the docks in the town of Bluff at 13:15. Surprisingly the conditions were very calm and as such it was easy to see birds as we sped along, although due to the calm conditions not much was active. What was active however were the Little Penguins, another new penguin species, and we started seeing these right out of the harbour, and would continue to see them even after we landed on Stewart Island. In addition, there was a Southern Royal Albatross among many Shy Albatross, a single Common Diving Petrel and a few Sooty Shearwaters. As we approached Stewart Island itself, a few Foveaux Shag also started to make an appearance.

  For our first afternoon on Stewart Island we decided to walk out to Ackers Point Lighthouse, a walk of a few kilometres through some mixed habitats. It was very pleasant walking under surprisingly bright and sunny conditions. In the harbour, we continued to see the Little Penguins, sometimes showing nicely close to shore. In the bushes there were so many Tui, seemingly everywhere to excess, often showing nicely as well. My first Red-crowned Parakeets flew over us at multiple points, but not allowing for any real detail to be observed, and as the evening wore on we also saw a few Kaka fly over our campsite in the small town of Oban, as well as one roosting at the back of the campsite.

  Today was very special as we had booked a Kiwi tour with one of the companies on the island, Beaks and Feathers. This company has access to the airstrip on the island after hours, and has an excellent success rate of finding the Southern Brown Kiwi which lives on the island. We met up with the tour at 21:30 and took a short minibus ride up to the airstrip, optimistic to put my last Kiwi pain behind me.

  And that happened very quickly, as no sooner had we jumped out of the car than our guide, showed us a large female Kiwi feeding right next to the road. We watched her feeding for some time, often at close range, before we continued up to the airstrip itself. Before 23:00, we must have seen in excess of five different Kiwi of all shapes and sizes. We saw them calling, we saw them running, we saw them falling over, it was absolutely brilliant, with us never being without a Kiwi for long. One of the juvenile birds even came running up to us and since I was crouched down trying to take photos, came up and started quickly pulling on my trousers before swiftly running away. There is absolutely no way that our Kiwi night could have gone any better, it was simply incredible to be a part of. 

-New Zealand Plover

Species List:
Awarua Bay: Black Swan, Mallard, Pied Stilt, South Island Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Double-banded Plover, New Zealand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, White-faced Heron, Swamp Harrier, New Zealand Fantail, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, Lesser Redpoll,
Stewart Island Ferry: Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, Little Penguin, Southern Royal Albatross, Shy Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Common Diving Petrel, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Shag, Foveaux Shag,
Stewart Island: South Island Kiwi, New Zealand Pigeon, Variable Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin, Shy Albatross, Australian Pied Cormorant, Foveaux Shag, New Zealand Kaka, Red-crowned Parakeet, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, 

New Zealand; Day 10 - Fiordland National Park & Awarua Bay

  Our final day in Fiordland National Park was spent around Te Anu, since the forecast was for rainy weather during the day. However, that was not how it transpired, and it was in reality quite a pleasant morning in the town. We started by visiting the Te Anu Wildlife Centre to see the feeding of the two pairs of South Island Takahae that are kept there, since it is not possible to see the species any other way. It was quite cool to see such a rare bird, even though they were in captivity. The rest of the morning was still chilling out by the lakeside, with its confiding New Zealand Scaup and Black-billed Gulls. From mid-afternoon we set off in the car heading south, driving the three hours to the town of Invercargil.

  Once we finally arrived in Invercargil, we unpacked quickly and I drove the half hour down to Tiwai Bay, arriving at 19:30, to check for wading birds. Here there were two main targets for me, so it was extremely frustrating to find that I could not drive to the site I wanted, falling about two kilometres short of my final destination. I decided to persevere regardless and walked the rest of the way to the location I wanted to check, along the shoreline of the estuary.

  Frustratingly, even from two kilometres away I could see that there were no birds present on the beach, and it looked bleak that I would find either target here. However, the tide was very high and slowly dropping so I positioned myself on the west side of the Brandy Point peninsula and waited here. Helpfully this was the only location where I could actually see wading birds, with a few Ruddy Turnstones trotting about in front of me. However, as the tide began to fall, it started to expose areas of mud and sure enough birds started to arrive.

  The majority of the birds were Ruddy Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit and Double-banded Plover, with a healthy contingent of South Island Oystercatcher also present. With the scope I spent the remaining hours of daylight filtering through as birds continued to arrive until there was a couple of hundred wading birds feeding on the foreshore. Additionally, there were a pair of Royal Spoonbill that dropped in at near dark, and a few Pied Stilts were also present, a new species for me.

  The one I really wanted to see here was New Zealand Plover, the South Island subspecies of which is critically endangered with just over 100 birds left. They were one of the last wader species to arrive on the beach, landing when a large portion of the estuary was already exposed. In total four birds dropped in, all of them with colour rings, much to my relief. Since they were not too far out I tried to approach the birds with my camera, but soon realised that they were in fact approaching me, leaving me to sit still and wait. And sure enough two individuals came so close that I could have touched them had I wanted to, completely unfazed by my presence. Absolutely brilliant and a real privilege to see such a rare species so close.

  Sadly the light was not on my side, and I ended up driving back to Invercargill in the dark. Still, it was an absolutely brilliant evening, and one of the best days birding I had since arriving in New Zealand.

-South Island New Zealand Plover

Species List:
Fiordland National Park: Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, New Zealand Scaup, New Zealand Pigeon, Kelp Gull, Little Pied Cormorant, New Zealand Fantail, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch,
Awarua Bay: Black Swan, Pied Stilt, South Island Oystercatcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Double-banded Plover, New Zealand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Black-fronted Tern, White-faced Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier, Common Blackbird, Lesser Redpoll, 

New Zealand; Day 9 - Fiordland National Park

  From our base in Queenstown, after a shower and a lie-in, we drove the three hours to Te Anu in the Fiordland National Park and eventually arrived at around Midday. After a short stop to grab some lunch and supplies, we continued up the Milford Highway towards the town of Milford Sound, another hour and a half drive. We needed to arrive for our cruise trip along the fiord, which departed at 15:30.

  We did make it to the cruise with limited time to spare. The cruise itself took just under two hours, traveling all the way up the Milford Sound up to the Tasman Sea and then back again. The common birds were present as usual, but in addition there was a spectacular amount of Sooty Shearwaters, which I estimated to exceed 1000 birds. We initially met the flock at the mouth of the fiord, but soon many of the birds found their way down the fiord and for the entire return journey we encountered Sooty Shearwaters passing close by. A feeding frenzy of White-fronted Terns and Shearwaters certainly had the potential for something more, and so it transpired when a group in excess of five Bottlenose Dolphins started swimming up the fiord, frequently breaching their dorsal fins above the waves. A small group of New Zealand Fur Seals were also bathing on the rocks, and the scenery was truly spectacular.

  After the cruise, at around 17:00 we had a walk around Milford Sound itself, and had more intimate Weka encounters that again failed to generate the stunning photos I hoped for. What did happen however, was a Weka attacking the lens hood of my camera, repeatedly biting the neoprene cover. New Zealand Pigeon also showed nicely, and with the tide out at this point we could see a smart White-faced Heron feeding on the exposed shoreline.

  On the way back we planned to check the riverside stops again for Blue Duck, at least as long as time would allow. On our first stop we met a German birder who said someone else had been looking at the Monkey Creek just down the valley. As such we returned to that location in the chance of something happening, but there was nothing doing. But just as we were about to leave two medium-sized birds with dark wings flew downriver, just out of the corner of my eye.

  Although not confident, I wondered, so pursued the birds down the river as best as I could. And then, as I was about to round the corner, two Blue Duck flew past me at extremely close quarters before continuing upstream. It looked as though they dropped in but alas, that is not how it transpired as further searches produced nothing. The photos I got were not great, but clearly showed the identity of the birds. Blue Duck, after much effort, was finally on the trip list.

  It was already quite late at this point, so we continued back to Te Anu, to our campsite and then to bed. Our final day with the Fiordland National Park comes to an end with some more excellent birding and finally seeing the Blue Duck. 

-New Zealand Fur Seal

-Bottlenose Dolphins

-Cicada

Species List:
Fiordland National Park: Paradise Shelduck, Blue Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Mallard, New Zealand Pigeon, Weka, Variable Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Sooty Shearwater, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Pied Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Great Egret, New Zealand Falcon, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, New Zealand Fantail, Tomtit, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, 

New Zealand; Day 8 - Fiordland National Park

  After yesterdays downpour we were desperate to make up for lost time around the Fiordland National Park, both for exploring and for birding. That said, I spent the first couple of hours exploring the campsite area while Ben slept a bit more. There was nothing new, although a pair of very confiding Rifleman in the early morning gloom were easily the best views I had of this species until this point. While having breakfast a little later a New Zealand Kaka flew over, which was the final available species of New Zealand Parrot available on this trip.

  Most of the rest of the morning was spent slowly making our way up the Milford Highway towards Milton Sound, one of the most famous areas in all of New Zealand, renowned for its natural beauty. Along the way we made several stops near the river to search for Blue Duck, but it was already quite busy and we had no joy at any of the spots we checked. A New Zealand Falcon flew overhead which was probably the highlight. After passing through Homer's Tunnel we stopped a few more times, and had our first Weka of the morning at a spot called ‘the Chasm’ although it wasn’t super interesting.

  Once we arrived at the tourist village of Milford Sound we spent an hour walking along the edge of the fiord. The Weka were very tame as we expected, with a family with at least two chicks in the car park itself, taking a roadkill House Sparrow out of the grill of one of the cars. There was another individual in an adjacent park which took a fancy to some leftover pasta to feast upon. Sadly the hoped-for Kea encounter did not arise, with no sign of any particularly habituated individuals.

  On the way back down the Milford Highway, after a little eBird research told us that there was a good chance for Rockwren on the scree slopes at the entrance to Homers Tunnel, I persuaded Ben to make a stop. Conveniently, there was a tour group from the US there already, with a New Zealand guide, and they had been searching for two hours without success. Still, we decided to wait it out, and after half an hour the tour group finally picked up on a Rockwren, which they kindly brought us over to see. The bird was brilliantly confiding, showing extremely well as it moved around the rocks, and perching right in front of us. It was always mobile, however, and difficult to keep track of so our time with it was somewhat limited, even if it did show incredibly well.

  After that we drove back from the Milford Highway, three hours to the town of Queenstown further inland, where we would collect Ben's girlfriend before returning to the National Park the following day. With Rockwren safely under the belt, attention returns to trying to find the Blue Duck, before moving on to other goodies. 

Species List:
Fiordland National Park: Pacific Black Duck, New Zealand Pigeon, Weka, Variable Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, New Zealand Falcon, Kea, New Zealand Kaka, Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Rifleman, New Zealand Rockwren, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, New Zealand Fantail, Tomtit, South Island Robin, Welcome Swallow, Dunnock, Eurasian Chaffinch, 

New Zealand; Day 7 - Fiordland National Park

  From our base in Lumsden we drove the final hour to the town of Te Anu, the gateway town to the Fiordland National Park. Frustratingly, as we began to approach the town it became apparent that the weather was not going to be on our side, and upon arriving in Te Anu, the downpour started. Initially we spent some time around the town itself hoping it would pass, but sadly it did not. With little else to do, I persuaded Ben it might be worth heading into the park to search for the Blue Duck on the rivers, since it would be quiet and there might be some activity. So that’s what we did…

  Sadly the rain did not let up, and after driving an hour along the Milford Road to the locations I wanted to check, it quickly became clear that the rain had turned the normal torrent of a river into something else, with gallons of water gushing past. It seemed that searching for the Blue Duck was a futile endeavour, and we did not stick at it for long. The rain continued to hammer down, so we decided to head to the Cascade Creek Campsite, the last campsite on the Milford Road where we had hoped to stay the night.

  After about an hour waiting at the Campsite we decided that it was probably worth heading back to Te Anu, where we might at least be able to find somewhere warm and dry to sit out the storm, hoping that it might clear up later in the day. It was as we were leaving the site that the day finally turned around, not the weather but the birds. On the fringes of the campsite, I spotted a Weka lurking between the parked cars, so we quickly jumped out in the rain to inspect this key trip target. And what a bird it was, extremely confiding and behaving extremely comically, removing logs from the fire pits and flicking away leaflitter as it foraged. An absolutely outstanding bird for its character, one of the highlights in New Zealand.

  After returning to Te Anu, the weather quickly began to pick up, and so after some afternoon snacks we returned up the Milford Road to the Cascade Creek campsite to stay for the night. The rain continued to hold off, until just a little after dark, although it remained quite gloomy throughout. Even though we arrived at the campsite quite late, we still found time for a short walk. The Weka was once again out on patrol, so we enjoyed its antics a bit more. The walk did not yield anything particularly spectacular, but we did see a pair of Rifleman and a confiding South Island Robin came bounding along the path to greet us as we walked up.

  Helpfully the forecast for tomorrow is much better, so that kept our spirits high after a very frustrating day. We spent the evening watching Long-tailed Wattled Bats fly above the forest, the first time I have seen bats here in New Zealand. 

Species List:
Fiordland National Park: Pacific Black Duck, New Zealand Scaup, Feral Pigeon, Weka, Masked Lapwing, Little Pied Cormorant, Kea, Rifleman, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, Grey Gerygone, New Zealand Fantail, Tomtit, South Island Robin, Welcome Swallow, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Goldfinch,

New Zealand; Day 6 - Dunedin

 Today was not a birding day at all, as it was my first time visiting Ben since he moved out to New Zealand almost six months ago. We took a late morning breakfast on the beach, and then spent the rest of the day preparing for our trip to the Fiordland National Park that evening. Still, we found some time to get to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary just outside of Dunedin, a place aiming to restore New Zealands native flora and fauna in a protected reserve. The reserve is most famous for its resident pair of Takahe, but sadly we did not see them during our time there. We did have excellent views of the New Zealand Pigeon on our walk around, and in one of the enclosures we spotted the Otago Skink.

In the evening we set off on our road trip to the town of Lumsden, two-thirds of the way to our final destination of Fiordland National Park, we eventually arrived after nightfall and set up camp there. 

-Smith's Dragonfly

-New Zealand Pigeon

Species List:
Orokonui Ecosanctuary: New Zealand Pigeon, Tui, New Zealand Bellbird, South Island Robin, Welcome Swallow, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Lesser Redpoll,

New Zealand; Day 5 - Lake Pukaki & Oamaru

  As light broke over the mountains I headed back down to the delta at the north end of Lake Pukaki to try once again to find the Wrybill. Alas it was not possible to find any, and I ended up leaving without the bird. That said, it was a very pleasant morning to be out birding, with a low mist hanging over the marsh, and the light reflecting from the glaciers on Mount Cook. The birds were similar to the previous day, with Black Stilts being daft once again, and plenty of Two-banded Plover running around everywhere.

  By 10:30 I set off on my three-hour drive to the coast. After 10 hours the previous day, it was a struggle to get back into the car and do it again, but it had to be done. There were a few short stops on the way at a few small water bodies outside the town of Twizel. Here there were hundreds of New Zealand Scaups, and I had a New Zealand Falcon come charging through well, which is just my second of the trip.

  The coastal town of Oamaru was the destination for the afternoon. I started in the harbour hoping to find the Otago Shag here, which I did fairly easily with a few birds drying their wings on the breakwater. Additionally, there were my first Spotted Shags of the trip and a small group of Australian Pied Cormorants, all mostly roosting on the decrepit pier on the south side of the harbour. Confiding Silver Gulls were also nice to see, having mostly seen Black-billed Gulls in the recent days.

  But the undoubted highlight here was just outside the harbour breakwater, with Hectors Dolphin, the worlds smallest dolphin and endemic to New Zealand. As I was walking up the breakwater I saw the fin protrude from the water, completely rounded at the top and not pointed, indicating it could only be this species. This first individual was so close I could see the profile of the animal as it submerged, but sadly none came this close again. In the end I spent an hour watching their dorsal fins emerge from the waves at varying distances, but sometimes quite close. This was a species I had really wanted to see here in New Zealand, and I was thrilled to have made it happen.

  For the late afternoon and until the evening, I went to the Penguin viewpoint at Bushy Beach. From here it is possible to watch the Yellow-eyed Penguin as they come into their breeding colony in the vegetated cliffs there. However this was not until later, so I kept myself busy scanning the sea. Although not super lively, I had a Royal Spoonbill, three Shy Albatross, an Australian Gannet, a Sooty Shearwater and a Fluttering Shearwater during the hours I spent there. But perhaps the highlight was the roost movement of Shag with 483 Spotted Shag heading south, and 76 Otago Shag heading north.

  Then at just approaching 08:00, the first Yellow-eyed Penguin came up onto the beach and started to waddle towards the forest. This first individual spent some time pottering about and not doing much, allowing for extended views, which is more than can be said for the second bird which made a dash straight up the beach. We were viewing from a respected distance up the cliff, but through the scope the views were really excellent. A brilliant end to the day, before driving the 90 minutes south to the town of Dunedin to meet Ben, my old university housemate. 

-Hectors Dolphin

-New Zealand Fur Seal

Species List:
Lake Pukaki – Tasman Delta: Canada Goose, Black Swan, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, Grey Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Black Stilt, Masked Lapwing, Double-banded Plover, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Black-fronted Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Swamp Harrier, Australian Magpie, Eurasian Skylark, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, New Zealand Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch,
Twizel: Canada Goose, Black Swan, Paradise Shelduck, Mallard, New Zealand Scaup, Great Crested Grebe, Eurasian Coot, Little Pied Cormorant, Swamp Harrier, New Zealand Falcon, Welcome Swallow, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, House Sparrow, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Goldfinch,
Oamaru: Paradise Shelduck, Feral Pigeon, Variable Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing, Parasitic Jaeger, Silver Gull, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Black-fronted Tern, White-fronted Tern, Yellow-eyed Penguin, Shy Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, Australasian Gannet, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Shag, Australian Pied Cormorant, Otago Shag, White-faced Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier, Grey Gerygone, Australian Magpie, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, House Sparrow, European Goldfinch, 

New Zealand; Day 4 - Okarito & Lake Pukaki

  After last nights disappointment, today I was keen to try and set things right, getting back to form. Unfortunately a lot of the day would be spent driving, as I travelled from Okarito to Lake Pukaki, a six hour drive with stops but obviously much longer with breaks. It turned out however to be an absolutely gorgeous drive, at least for the first three hours, travelling through lush coastal forests with beautiful mountains on one side and the Tasman Sea on the other side.

  I spent the first couple of hours birding the beach at Okarito. The sunlight was fantastic and I got very nice views of the Variable Oystercatchers on the beach, showing very nicely and looking very handsome in the morning light. The White-fronted Tern flock I had seen the previous evening were still present and showing well, especially when they were harassed by an Arctic Skua first thing. Also on the beach were both an adult Silver Gull, and an adult Black-billed Gull, both my first proper look at the species pair of the trip. A flyby pair of Little Pied Cormorant rounded off the new birds nicely.

  As mentioned, the drive along the road was lovely, although the roadworks and winding mountain passes were not easily navigated. It was on this route that I started to see the New Zealand Pigeon, and after a few short stops I finally got excellent views of one gorging itself on fruit next to the road. Additionally, I saw my first Tui of the trip on the same stop, which alighted briefly on the side of the road next to me. A midday walk up the trail at the Haasts Pass brought some nice common forest birds, such as a pair of Rifleman, but nothing new.

  Late afternoon the road passed an artificial reservoir so I made a short stop here to scan for birds. There were a few species of interest here, including masses of Black-billed Gulls of various ages. Ducks were also present, although not in huge numbers, with Pacific Black Duck and New Zealand Scaup being the standouts from this short stop.

  Finally at 18:30, 10 hours after departing from Okarito, I arrived at the north end of Lake Pukaki, just as the light was getting good. So I immediately went onto the reserve to find the Black Stilt, hoping I would be able to easily pick them out, and so it transpired with a few of these birds being fantastically confiding allowing unbelievable views. Finally, a target bird that landed easily and without any problems at all.

  The birding here was good. In addition to the Stilt there were many Two-banded Plover of all ages running around the beaches, sometimes close and confiding. New Zealand Pipit was also very approachable and I got some very nice photos here. Using the scope I was able to pick out a pair of Royal Spoonbill but very distantly on the shingle. As the light wore on a juvenile Black-fronted Tern started fishing the channel in front of me, before rounding off the evening with a nice White-faced Heron. Additionally to the new birds, there were great numbers of Paradise Shelducks and other commoner species here, making the whole experience very enjoyable.

  Sadly however, there was no sign of the Wrybill. Another check in the morning will hopefully be more fruitful.

Species List:
Okarito: Paradise Shelduck, New Zealand Pigeon, Australasian Swamphen, Variable Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing, Parasitic Jaeger, Silver Gull, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, White-fronted Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Egret, Swamp Harrier, Tui, New Zealand Fantail, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Lesser Redpoll,
Haasts Pass: Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Rifleman, Tomtit, Silvereye, Lesser Redpoll,
Lake Pukaki – Tasman Delta: Canada Goose, Black Swan, Paradise Shelduck, Australasian Shoveler, Grey Teal, Black Stilt, Masked Lapwing, Double-banded Plover, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Black-fronted Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Swamp Harrier, Eurasian Skylark, Welcome Swallow, New Zealand Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, 

New Zealand; Day 3 - Arthur's Pass National Park & Okarito

  The priority for the day, and only target, was the New Zealand Rockwren, or South Island Wren in the Otira Valley. From my campsite I headed straight there and began to work the area between the car park and the bridge, but with no joy. There was some success however, with my first Pipipi of the trip, with a nice showy group next to the trail.

  After a short trip down to the village of Arthurs Pass for some breakfast, I continued exploring the area past the bridge, since I was told that the scree slopes in this area were the best place to check and not down below the bridge. Frustrated by having wasted a morning, I spent the next three hours here but again found nothing, with no sight or sound of the Rockwren. In the end I had to leave at 14:00 to have time to complete my drive to my next destination.

  Still the morning was not a complete loss as I was able to watch some excellent Kea action when returning to Arthurs Pass. Around 10 birds were hanging around, and they were very confiding and full of character. One small bush on the ground had three Kea in it, and they were pouncing on any food left out in the open, and generally just causing chaos.

  The drive in the afternoon took me along the West Coast Road, which was truly stunning. Along the way I stopped off at some sewage stink pits, where there were a few waterbirds, including my first New Zealand Scaup, Pacific Black Duck and Grey Teal of the trip. There was also another tick a small group of four South Island Oystercatcher that flew south down the beach.

  My destination for the night was the small town of Okarito, surrounded by pristine forest. There were a few birds to try to see here, and since I arrived with some daylight left, I had a chance to check for my first one in a small marsh on the edge of the lake here; the New Zealand Fernbird. With a little persuasion, I managed to get one bird to come out of the vegetation for me, so that was one problem I did not have to worry about in the morning.

The evening plan was to go on a tour to look for the Okarito Kiwi, but alas, fate was not in my favour. An hour before the tour I found myself locked out of the car, with the engine still running. Fortunately, I had the keys still with me, and although the buttons were not responding to the car I could use the manual key to open it. Or I could of done, had the manual key actually been cut, which it wasn’t. So I had to call out a mechanic to open the car for me, which meant I missed the Kiwi tour. Ian, the guide, had suggested if the mechanic came quickly I could find them in the woods and join them, but I could not locate them when I tried. A shame, but these things do happen on birding trip.

Species List:
Arthur’s Pass National Park: Californian Quail, Kea, New Zealand Bellbird, Pipipi, Tomtit, Silvereye, Lesser Redpoll,
Hokitika Water Treatment Plant: Canada Goose, Black Swan, Paradise Shelduck, Australasian Shoveler, Pacific Black Duck, Mallard, Grey Teal, New Zealand Scaup, Australasian Swamphen, South Island Oystercatcher, Black-billed Gull, Kelp Gull, Great Cormorant, Yellowhammer,
Okarito: Variable Oystercatcher, New Zealand Fantail, New Zealand Fernbird, Lesser Redpoll, 

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,