New Zealand Trip Report Part 10
Wednesday Feb 26th
We left our our AirBNB at 7.15 and drove down to the harbour for the ferry back to South Island. Once on board we took our usual spot at the back of the boat for an hour’s seawatching. Unlike the crossing from South Island, there were far fewer people on this early crossing. It was a bit rougher as well as with a lot of spray coming down the port side.
Leaving Stewart Island |
No sign of Zippy, George or Bungle |
There was the usual White-capped Albatross milling just outside the harbour and Foveaux’s Shag but no sign of any penguins. On the strait there were more birds using the windier conditions with several Mottled Petrels and a few Common Diving Petrels. Once back to Bluff we loaded the van up and headed off with another fairly long driving day to go.
We made a short stop at Invercargill Estuary, where there were plenty of Royal Spoonbills and a selection of the by now usual ducks.
Grey Teal |
Royal Spoonbills |
After the obligatory bakery stop we carried on until lunch, stopping at a little wetland reserve. We had a walk around after lunch hoping for Baillon’s Crake but there was no sight or sound of one.
Mid-afternoon we arrived at Katiki Historic Reserve, a coastal spot where Yellow-eyed Penguins breed. They nest in the bushes just up a hill from the shore so we waited, hoping for an adult to either come in with food or to head back out to sea. After 90 minutes we still hadn’t seen one then Brent found one standing on a slope, probably an adult looking after a young one that had just ventured out for a break. We quickly scoped it and rattled off a few photos before it decided to return to the bushes and we never saw any more.
Yellow-eyed Penguin |
We drove to the town of Oamuru and made a quick stop at an old wooden pier that had hundreds of shags roosting on it, most of which were Ortago Shag.
Ortago Shag |
Spotted Shag |
We then headed to our motel and after a quick turnaround, went off to dinner.
Thursday Feb 27th
Our last full day in New Zealand. We checked out of our motel at 7.30 and drove to Fairlie where we visited another highly recommended pie shop. I went for their speciality – a salmon & bacon pie which was excellent. As the pies were hot they were eaten there and then rather than being saved for lunch.
We then headed to the alpine lakes around Lake Tekapo to look for one remaining endemic. There was no sign of it in the first bay we checked but there was an assortment of waterbirds including a Great Crested Grebe, just the second time we’d seen one.
Cabbage White |
Paradise Shelduck |
At another swampy area we looked for Baillon’s Crake yet again but this time with success as one fed just inside the vegetation, showing well as it walked into the gaps.
Banded Dotterel |
Finally, we struck lucky and five Black Stilts were seen at another spot. They were a bit distant and spent a lot of the time dozing but the world’s rarest wader was in the bag. Later in the day we also saw them at two other spots, seeing a total of 12 birds.
Black Stilt |
The scenery was spectacular with mountain ranges along two sides and towering hills along another with a large plain in the middle with streams running through it. We went to a couple of viewpoints, including going up to the observatory and also had good views of Mount Cook. All too soon it was time to leave and to yet another motel but this was to be our last night in the country.
Mount Cook |
Friday Feb 28th
The last day was not much more than a drive to Christchurch Airport although it did take all morning. Most of us had flights scheduled for early evening so we had a little wait before checking in. While some of the party headed back via Auckland, my flight went to Sydney and then on to Dubai arriving back in Gatwick at Saturday lunchtime.
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Our eBird route through New Zealand |