8 lifers in three awesome days!

On the 18th December, I headed back up to the fantastic D'Aguilar National Park, literally just on the edge of Brisbane. I decided that it would be worth visiting Maiala picnic-ground, three months' after my previous visit, but this time early in the morning. Sadly, with my camera out-of-action, I wasn't able to take any photographs today.

As we drove into the national park, a stop at one of the numerous viewpoints revealed a magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagle soaring high above the forest, a first for me in the Brisbane area and for my challenge total.

The trip started brilliantly, with a female Paradise Riflebird landing in the tree above our car just as we got out. Though it was sadly not the resplendent black and green male, seeing this highly unusual member of the Bird-of-Paradise family was an amazing way to start the day. Hopefully I will see a male at some point!

After the bird flew off, a search around the picnic-ground for it revealed my second lifer of the day, as a stunning Green Catbird appeared, a member of the Bowerbird family. This bird earns it name from its remarkable call, which sounds like a cat shrieking in anguish. This call echoed through the forest all morning, and I ended up seeing at least 14 individuals of the species. I have no idea how I missed it last time!

Other birds seen around the picnic area included at least Topknot Pigeons (including three perched), a White-headed Pigeon, five magnificent Satin Bowerbirds, numerous Brown Gerygones, Buff-rumped Thornbills and Lewin's Honeyeaters and a Red-browed Finch. We then headed down the rainforest track deeper into the forest. Yellow-throated and Large-billed Scrubwrens became common, Rufous and Grey Fantails appeared, while four stunning Australian King Parrots showed very well. I was very pleased when two larger birds foraging in the undergrowth turned out to be Russet-tailed Thrushes, my third new bird of the day. I ended up seeing 12 of this scarce and secretive bird along the walk.

Not long later, yet another new species for me appeared, as a very pleasing Pale-yellow Robin appeared.This great little member of the Australasian Robin family is endemic to the forests of Queensland and New South Wales and was a bird I had been anticipating finding for some time.

Other birds seen along the walk included three of the highly-unusual Brown Cuckoo-Dove, my second-ever sighting of the magnificently dainty Rose-crowned Fruit Dove, a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo flying overhead, three Regent Bowerbirds (sadly all females rather than the extraordinarily-brightly-coloured male of the species), a Brown Thornbill, five Eastern Whipbirds, a female Australian Golden Whistler, a Black-faced Monarch and three Eastern Yellow Robins. What an awesome place! Sadly I missed Australian Logrunner and Noisy Pitta, but it will certainly be worth returning here as soon as possible!

We had lunch at a restaurant in the small township of Mount Glorious. Watching from the veranda of the restaurant produced some great birds, including very distant individuals of Brown Goshawk and male Regent Bowerbird, a Brown Cuckoo-Dove, numerous Topknot Pigeons and two stunning Crimson Rosellas, my first within the Brisbane metro area.

Our next stop was the Boombanna picnic area, where I hoped to find some dry forest specialities. Sadly it was now later morning and consequently, the area was very quiet bird-wise, with several Rufous Fantails, Lewin's Honeyeaters, Pied Currawongs and Rainbow Lorikeets the only birds seen.

We then headed to the western side of Mount Coot-tha Forest, where once again dry forest birds were the target. Remarkably, Noisy Miners and Australasian Figbirds were the only birds seen in the forest, while a large flock of White-throated Needletails darted about overhead. I think an early-morning visit will be required here as well.

The final stop of the day was Gold Creek Reservoir. Once again, my main target, this time the Pale-vented Bush-hen, failed to appear, and two more Brown Cuckoo-Doves and an unidentified raptor were the undoubted highlights of the visit. On the drive home, however, a bird I hadn't seen for nine years waddled across the road in front of us, followed by another shortly after. It was a Common Emerald Dove, a stunning bright-green-and-dark-pink bird with a bright red bill. It had been a great end to a great day of bird-watching in the area on the western edge of Brisbane.

The next afternoon, we headed down to Surfer's Paradise for the night, in preparation of heading out on a pelagic trip out of Southport the following day.

We were at the dock by half-past-five the next morning. Before we had even left the harbour, I had added a bird to my Australian list, with four Common Terns found among a large group of Silver Gulls, Greater Crested Terns and Australian Pelicans. I don't really know how this species had managed to avoid me in Australia up until now! Several Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels were also seen on a nearby sandbank, along with a pair each of Masked Lapwing and Pied Oystercatcher.

A little way offshore, the first tubenose appeared, unsurprisingly in the form of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, an abundant bird in the seas off Queensland. I have great memories of seeing many hundreds of this species returning to their nest-sites on Heron Island on the Barrier Reef when I was nine years' old, in fact my only previous encounter with this bird.

Besides occasional sightings of 'Wedgies,' the next two hours or so were very quiet. This changed when a black-and-white tubenose was seen flying away from the boat. Sadly this potentially very interesting bird remained unidentified. Not long later, a Masked Booby was spotted distantly behind the boat. This species is rather scarce off Southport, and was in fact my second Australia-tick of the day. My third soon appeared, as an equally-distant White-tailed Tropicbird passed in front of the boat. It really was an awesome start to the day!

Not much later, one of the guides spotted an interesting dark tubenose seemingly approaching the boat with several Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. This larger bird had a noticeably more aggressive way of flight, and it soon revealed itself to be a Black Petrel, a New Zealand breeding-endemic that is very occasionally sighted in the waters off Australia's east coast. With its nesting range restricted to the Great and Little Barrier Islands of the Hauraki Gulf, this is a species not found off New Zealand's South Island, the location of my only previous pelagic birding trips, and was consequently an immensely-pleasing lifer for me. This impressive large Petrel is classified as vulnerable, being highly at risk due to its small range, regularly dying as a fishery by-catch and invasive mammals species destroying its burrows and eggs on the Barrier Islands. Amazingly, it proceeded to follow the boat for most of the day!

Black Petrel, Southport Pelagic

While we were stopped, numerous Wedge-tailed Shearwaters started to appear and soon we were surrounded by at least thirty of the species.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Southport Pelagic

It was fantastic to watch a tiny Storm-petrels gliding towards the boat. It turned out to be a Wilson's Storm-petrel, another lifer for me. At only 17cm, this Antarctic breeder has the remarkable ability to use the wind conditions perfectly to patter along the surface feeding on plankton close to the surface. During the non-breeding season, this bird disperses an immense distance from its breeding grounds, reaching both coasts of the USA in large numbers, India, Europe in small numbers and of course Australia. 

As the numbers of seabirds around the boat began to dwindle, we headed onwards. Almost immediately, perhaps the main target of the day, a Tahiti Petrel headed past the boat. Our next stop produced at least eight of this stunning range-restricted bird.

Tahiti Petrel from the Southport Pelagic. This pelagic is undoubtedly the most reliable way to see this fantastic species which breeds in the rainforest of remote Pacific islands. Their magnificently-effortless flight low over the water was awesome to watch.

A huge number of Greater Crested Terns and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were also seen here, along with five Wilson's Storm-petrels. A great group of Bottlenose Dolphins also passed the boat, taking advantage of large amount of fishy bait thrown into the water in attempt to draw seabirds close to the boat. 

After some time spent enjoying these species, something amazing happened. A small Pterodroma Petrel appeared, allowing great views on both sides of the boat. It was immediately clear that it wasn't the expected Gould's Petrel, and the consensus quickly became that it was a Black-winged Petrel, a scarce species in this part of the world that would have been a lifer for one of the guides (and, unsurprisingly for me as well!). I was very pleased to manage to take a photograph of this great new bird for me, though sadly it really was an atrocious picture! Thankfully, another birder had taken several brilliant photos showing the under-wing of the bird. Careful deliberation of these pictures and a seabird identification book revealed something extraordinary. The under-wing pattern was clearly wrong for a Black-winged Petrel, while its long bill ruled out Pycroft's Petrel. The bird was, in fact, clearly a Cook's Petrel, a New Zealand endemic and true rarity in Australia, with most records coming from Tasmania and this being the first-ever record for Queensland! It really was a privilege to have been on-board when a Queensland first was sighted.

My only photograph of a Queensland-first (and of course a first for me!), the Cook's Petrel.

It was soon time to head back inshore, and nearly four hours' later, we were back on the dock in Southport, feeling extremely pleased with the day. In the harbour, I had seen an Eastern Osprey and another Common Terns in among the more expected species. What a great trip!

We headed back north towards Brisbane, where we decided to try and find an Eastern Grass Owl at Kedron Brook Wetlands. Sadly, we failed to find one, though a Striated Heron and Buff-banded Rail were pleasing birds to see. It was very frustrating to see on ebird that another birder had seen one while we were there! I shall have to attempt to find one on another day.

Earlier, on the 16th December, I found three new species for what has become my local patch, the Grange Forest Park in the middle of Brisbane. The first was a magnificent Pheasant Coucal, my second in three days in the city. It was followed by a majestic Great White Egret and finally an Olive-backed Oriole, bringing my total at the location up to 60!

Birding from home

On the 14th December, I decided to carry out a 'big day' on foot, starting at my home in central Brisbane. The aim was to see as many species in one day without using any form of transport, other than my legs. I didn't have a particular target, but instead set out to find as many as possible and to use this as a basis for future attempts.

Sadly, I slept through three alarms and I wasn't out until half-past-seven in the morning, missing a considerable amount of valuable birding time. I headed towards Grange Forest Park, picking up some decent species on the way. My first, unsurprisingly, was Noisy Miner, followed by Welcome Swallow, Rainbow Lorikeet, Torresian Crow, Australasian Figbird, Crested Pigeon, Magpie-Lark, Australian Magpie and Blue-faced Honeyeater, all within the first ten minutes. I decided on a small detour to a nearby 711 shop, where I had seen White-breasted Woodswallow and my first Noisy Friarbird in Brisbane a couple of days previously. Thankfully, both were still present, along with Common Myna, Spotted Dove and Feral Pigeon. I was on 14 species without even leaving the roadside pavement. A little further on, I was extremely pleased to find a group of five White-throated Needletails flying overhead. This was only my second-ever sighting of this magnificent Siberian-breeding bird, and soon a further 20 or so appeared, rapidly darting through the sky in pursuit of insect prey.

A little later, I reached Grange Forest Park. Unsurprisingly, additions to my day total were in abundance, with Masked Lapwing, Maned and Pacific Black Ducks, Dusky Moorhen, Little Pied Cormorant and Black-fronted Dotterel all around the brook, Australian Reed Warbler, Double-barred and Red-browed Finches, Tawny Grassbird and Brown Honeyeater in the reeds, and Rainbow Bee-eaters and Tree Martins joining the abundant Welcome Swallows and White-throated Needletails overhead. Laughing Kookaburras chuckled, magnificent Channel-billed Cuckoos shrieked loudly and Silvereyes and Variegated Fairywrens chirped from the undergrowth. Numerous Black-faced Cuckooshrikes, Eastern Cattle Egrets, Australian White and Straw-necked Ibises and Sacred Kingfishers flew overhead. I was (mildly) pleased to see my first Common Starling in Brisbane fly over me rapidly, while three Pale-headed Rosellas (only my second sighting of the species) also headed over. I headed into the forest, where I found a Lewin's Honeyeater and an Australian Brushturkey, followed by three Grey Butcherbird. With midday rapidly approaching, I decided to continue on along the Kedron Brook Bikeway. Despite missing a number of birds at the park, I felt that 42 species was a decent effort at this stage. Just as I headed away from the park, I had a fantastic moment of luck as a magnificent Brown Goshawk shot over my head carrying some unidentifiable prey. What an awesome bird to see right in the middle of a large city!!

Continuing along the bikeway, I reached Kokoda Park some time later. I was pleased to find Pied Butcherbird and Scaly-breasted Lorikeet in the surrounding trees, while a White-faced Heron was strutting about the brookside bank and both Willie Wagtail and Pied Currawong were seen on a neighbouring rugby field.

This White-faced Heron was my 46th bird of the day

It was great to see a large flock of Straw-necked Ibises feeding on a rugby field

I then enjoyed the most surprising sighting of the day. A large number of Noisy Miners appeared to be mobbing something in a large tree next to the path, so of course I went over to investigate. It turned out to be a truly stunning Pheasant Coucal, a magnificent brown-and-black member of the Cuckoo family, reaching up to 70cm in length. I enjoyed distant views of it for some time, what an incredible bird!

Right next to it, several Fairy Martins flew over in a mixed hirundine flock, my 50th species of the day. 

The next stop was Kalinga Park, a forested area of parkland surrounding the Kedron Brook Bikeway. Here, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Galah were additions to my list, the latter being a very lucky find as I tried to photograph a Laughing Kookaburra.

Galah at Kalinga Park

By this point, after five hours of walking in the baking heat, I had to head to the supermarket to get some water. This certainly was not somewhere I expected to find a Brisbane tick, though as it was a House Sparrow, it was hardly a surprising location to find one in! This is seemingly a scarce bird in Brisbane, though as the fact that I barely registered seeing it at the time shows, I may well have been ignoring them. 

The next location was the fantastic Kedron Brook Wetlands Reserve. Sadly, it seemed as though the reserve had dried out considerably since my last visit, making waterbirds few and far between. An Australasian Swamphen was in the same location as I had seen one on my last visit, just next to the reserve entrance, while Golden-headed Cisticola, Brahminy Kite and Chestnut-breasted Mannikin were quickly found. Two Grey Fantails were a surprise in that I hadn't seen one on my previous visit and the same was the case for an Eastern Osprey and three Whistling Kites that flew overhead. I headed over to the small lake, which thankfully still contained water, and found that the resplendent White-headed Stilts and Red-necked Avocets had remained present, while an Australian Pelican was also there. Two Red-backed Fairywrens were creeping about the undergrowth nearby and I flushed an Australian Pipit from the path, my 60th bird of the day. 

I was extremely pleased to find this magnificent White-bellied Sea Eagle perched next to the brook. What a beast!

White-bellied Sea Eagle. Such an awesome bird.

Returning to the area which had held numerous Glossy Ibises and waders on my previous visit was very disappointing. It now consisted of a large open area of dry mud, which surprisingly still had several White-headed Stilts, Black-fronted Dotterels and a single Sharp-tailed Sandpiper on it. It seems like a wasted journey for this Siberian-breeder to travel all the way to Australia to spend its non-breeding season on a dry field!

It was nice to pick up a couple of the reserve's specialities before I moved on, as three Mangrove Gerygones and five Mangrove Honeyeaters appeared.

I was now absolutely exhausted, and decided that my next stop, the Nudgee Waterhole Reserve, would be my last. On the way, I added Black-shouldered Kite, Whimbrel, Australasian Darter and Varied Triller to my day's total, bringing it up to 73 species. I finally reached the reserve, where I quickly found Hardhead, Australasian Grebe and Eurasian Coot on the lake, but sadly no Whistling Ducks, while my final tick of the day was also a Brisbane tick for me, with a Grey Shrikethrush, which I found in the surrounding forest. After nine hours' of walking in 30 degrees, I was extremely tired, but pleased to have found 77 species in a single day without using any transport from home. 

I believe I could reach 100 species in a day if I were to get a bike and start a little earlier, so I will be attempting this at some point!

North Island of New Zealand

On the 28th November, I took the ferry from Picton to Wellington across the Cook Strait.

Before leaving the Marlborough Sounds, I had found two Little Penguins chilling on the water and a great number of Spotted Shags, White-fronted Terns, Australasian Gannets, Fluttering Shearwaters and Kelp and Red-billed Gulls feeding frenetically. Heading out into the open water in amazingly calm conditions, it did not take long for some great pelagic seabirds to begin to appear. Several Mollymawks flew past, sadly too distant for identification, shortly followed by a close Northern Giant Petrel. Fulmar Prions, a species I last saw off Stewart Island in 2006, began to follow the ferry, with at least 45 of them gliding low and elegantly over the ship's wake. A resplendent Northern Royal Albatross glided effortlessly over the deck, allowing breathtaking views, while a Gibson's Wandering Albatross and several Buller's (again a bird I last saw in Stewart Island nine years' ago!) and White-capped Albatrosses were flushed by the approaching boat. On top of these, a Westland Petrel and two Sooty Shearwaters (a challenge tick) were also seen. What a fantastic crossing!

I reached Wellington in the early evening, and headed up to Rotorua the next morning. The trip included a half-hour stop-off in Taupo. I headed straight down to the lakeside, in search of a potential lifer. Virtually immediately, I came upon a pair of New Zealand Grebes, shortly followed by three more pairs. It was soon time to run back to catch my bus, but it had been incredibly satisfying to find another lifer endemic to New Zealand! I had much closer views of this bird the next day on Lake Rotorua.

New Zealand Grebe on Lake Rotorua

Other birds seen on the lake an absolutely immense flock of New Zealand Scaups, accompanied by large of flocks of three invasive species- Greylag Geese, Black Swans and Mallards.

Black Swan on Lake Rotorua. This magnificent Australian species was introduced to New Zealand for hunting in 19th Century, and has flourished, with over 60 000 birds probably now present.

The following day, I headed to the stunning Rotorua Redwood Forest

Rotorua Redwoods, what an extraordinary place! Sadly it was very quiet from a birding perspective, with Tui, Silverye, New Zealand Fantail and Grey Gerygone being the only native species seen here.

It was then time to head north again, this time to Auckland. While passing through the southern suburbs of New Zealand's biggest city (remarkably home to a third of the country's population!), I saw several Spotted Doves, an Asian introduction, which, unlike in Australia, has remained relatively scarce in New Zealand. This was my first sighting of the species in the country, and it was accompanied by numerous Common Mynas, another Asian invasive. 

On the 2nd December, I caught the ferry from Auckland to Tiritiri Matangi Island. This remarkable island is completely predator-free, and consequently numerous native bird species have been translocated to there, in an attempt to secure their future. When I visited back in 2006, I was truly blown away, and this trip was certainly no different!

On the journey over to the island, I saw numerous White-fronted Terns, Australasian Gannets, Fluttering Shearwaters and, unquestionably best of all, six Arctic Skuas. This species breeds in north Eurasia and northern North America. The individuals seen in New Zealand are believed to breed in the Siberian tundra, meaning that every year they carry out a truly remarkable migration spanning the entire length of the Pacific Ocean and back. What an extraordinary creature!

As we approached the Tiritiri, the sound of numerous melodic songbirds filled the air. Tui and New Zealand Bellbirds whistled tunefully from every tree, Red-crowned Parakeets squawked, Whiteheads, Sacred Kingfishers and North Island Saddlebacks shrieked and North Island Robins chattered from the undergrowth. It felt like stepping back in time to a pre-human New Zealand.

Red-crowned Parakeet on Tiritiri Matangi. This bird was once widespread across both the North and South Islands, however European arrival led to a drastic contraction in its range. Nowadays it is near-extinct on mainland New Zealand, however the species is booming on the predator-free islands to which it has been translocated.

Tui on Tiritiri. What amazing birds!

 New Zealand Bellbird on Tiritiri. Thankfully, like the Tui, this member of the Honeyeater family managed to adapt to European settlement in New Zealand and remains common on the mainland

The same cannot be said for this species, the North Island Saddleback, which became extinct on the mainland approximately 110 years ago, but thankfully survives on these predator-free islands.

North Island Robin on Tiritiri

Heading deeper into the forest, I was extremely pleased to come across several Stitchbirds. This stunning black-white-and-yellow bears a strong resemblance to the Honeyeaters, however it is not closely related to them and is now classified as being in its own family. It became extinct on the mainland and on most offshore islands towards the end of the 19th Century. Thankfully, a small population survived on nearby Little Barrier Island, and in the 1980's, a number of birds were taken to Tiritiri Matangi. Though it remains relatively scarce on the island, it appears to be doing quite well and attempts to reintroduce birds from Tiritiri to the North Island have resulted in some success. I certainly hope this species continues its comeback from the brink of extinction!

Whiteheads became truly abundant deeper into the forest. Once again, this stunning species was once abundant across the mainland of the North Island. European arrival, and the clearing of forests and introduction of rodents and mustelids that came with it, caused a rapid decline in its population. The bird was brought to Tiritri Matangi in 1989 and has now apparently become the most common species on the island.

New Zealand Pigeons, Silvereyes and Grey Gerygones were the other native species common in the forest. Of course, being New Zealand, invasive species were also present in high numbers. House Sparrows, European Goldfinches, Common Starlings, Common Blackbirds and Song Thrushes represented European introductions, while Common Mynas from Asia and Australian Magpies were also common. I was pleased to find another Australian introduction in high numbers around the island, the fantastic Brown Quail. This bird was first brought over to New Zealand for hunting in the 1860's. Though it has flourished in the northern part of the North Island, this was the first time I had seen the species in the country. Approximately ten years' ago, there was some speculation that the birds present on Tiritiri Matangi Island may in fact be a remnant population of the extinct New Zealand Quail. Sadly genetic-testing proved this not to be the case.

Brown Quails on Tiritiri Matangi

The Australian Magpie, brought to New Zealand in 1864 in order to control pests, is now a serious pest in the country itself.

Tiritiri Matangi Island is perhaps best known for its population of Takahes. This flightless prehistoric Gallinule species was believed to be extinct, before it was extraordinarily rediscovered in the south of the South Island in 1948. It was then translocated to several offshore islands in the 1980's. It has remained rare, with only approximately 260 birds in existence, however thankfully it does seem as though its future is at least secure. Sadly I didn't have a repeat of my previous trip to the island, when I saw the species fantastically well, though I was mildly amused by the sight of about two dozen visitors (remarkably including a guide!) staring at this 'Takahe!':

This bird is in fact an Australasian Swamphen, known as Pukeko in New Zealand. Unlike the Takahe, this bird has the ability to fly and has absolutely boomed in New Zealand since the arrival of Europeans. Fossil evidence appears to suggest that the bird was not present in the country before Maori arrival, and there is speculation that they may have introduced the species. I guess the crowd watching it would have gone home feeling very pleased with themselves!

Another Takahe-impersonator on Tiritiri

I decided to head over to one of the island's small ponds in search of another species that has been translocated to the island. I had a fantastic moment of luck as a New Zealand Fernbird flew right past me and briefly landed next to the pond, allowing fantastic, if a little brief, views of the endemic lifer. This bird was brought to the island in 2001 from its North Island-homeland, which was being destroyed to build a motorway. Like most species brought to the island, this member of the Old World Warbler family has flourished here and there are now several hundred present. 

This was, in fact, not the creature I had been searching for, instead an absolutely fantastic bonus sighting! After a brief wait, my target species swum out from the undergrowth:

The Brown Teal, one of the world's rarest ducks with a population of just 2000 birds. It was brought to Tiritiri Matangi in 1987, having been nearly hunted to extinction on the mainland in the early 20th Century, with small remnant populations clinging on in Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula.

I was then forced to head back towards the wharf to catch the return ferry. I was immensely pleased to come across this bird right next to the footpath:

The truly awesome North Island Kokako. A member of the New Zealand Wattlebird family, whose only other extant members are the North and South Island Saddlebacks. Unlike those two, the Kokako still has two tiny remnant populations on the North Island mainland, those being the only remaining members of a family that was once widespread and abundant across both islands still found on the mainland. Weighing a quarter-of-a-kilogram and reaching up to 40cm in length, this huge passerine was an incredibly pleasing lifer for me, and I ended up seeing five of them on my walk back to the wharf. Wow!!

I was lucky to come across one more endemic songbird in the forest, New Zealand's smallest bird, the Rifleman. A small flock of this 8cm-long midget-bird were making their way through the forest undergrowth. It was a great way to end an awesome day in an awesome place! I will definitely return to the island, in order to stay the night and search for Little Spotted Kiwis....

My final destination of the trip was Paihia in the awesome Bay of Islands. On the journey north from Auckland, I saw yet another invasive species, the Eastern Rosella. This turned out to be a very common bird around the Paihia area.

Eastern Rosella in Paihia, this bird was introduced to New Zealand in 1910 and is now abundant and continuing to spread across the North Island

A search of the Paihia-Waitangi Estuary produced some very decent birds, not least five New Zealand Plovers and a Pacific Golden Plover, my first in New Zealand.

New Zealand Plover at Paihia.

Other birds seen on the estuary included at least 25 White-faced Herons, a Pacific Reef Heron, up to 10 Sacred Kingfishers, 13 White-headed Stilts and four Caspian Terns. 

Nearby was Waitangi National Reserve. I spent a considerable amount of time exploring this great reserve, though sadly it was once again invasive species that were present in good numbers. Thankfully, New Zealand Fantails, Tui, Silverye and Grey Gerygone were also common, while a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, just my second sighting in New Zealand, was a very pleasing bird to see.

The reserve is a great location for North Island Brown Kiwis, and consequently I decided to pay it a visit in the late evening on the 7th December, my final night of the trip. Alone and armed with just a basic headlamp, unsurprisingly I had no success in finding this highly secretive and skulking bird, though with numerous Moreporks calling, I decided to try and stalk up on one. After nearly half-an-hour of standing under a tree from which one was calling, I was extremely happy when the bird flew out, giving truly atrocious views of a very special lifer for me. This is New Zealand's only extant native Owl (the Laughing Owl is now extinct and the Little Owl was introduced from Europe), and is found only there and in Tasmania. I went to bed feeling content with my success and was up horrendously early the next morning to head back down to Auckland for my flight home to Brisbane.

The trip, however, was not over yet, as I was lucky enough to spot three Barbary Doves on the drive. This creature has a very complex genetic history, having been domesticated from African Collared Doves in the Middle East several thousand years' ago. Many people believe that the bird is now genetically-distinct from that species, effectively making it a man-made species, though its ability to successfully interbreed with both African and Eurasian Collared Doves suggests that it may not, in fact, be valid as a distinct species. For now, I am counting it as a life tick in the form of African Collared Dove (after all I ticked Rock Dove after seeing Feral Pigeons!), though this may change if more evidence emerges! Numerous Common Pheasants and Canada and Greylag Geese were also seen on the journey. My final bird of the trip was, sadly rather fittingly, another non-native bird, the Wild Turkey, of which I saw a group of four skulking in some roadside grassland. As is the case with such feral birds, it can be difficult to tell if they are truly wild birds, and a strong degree of uncertainty surrounding the wilderness of the area (just outside a small farming town) in which I saw a Helmeted Guineafowl (a species on the official NZ list) on the same drive prevented me from being able to tick it with confidence! These Turkeys were, however, in a seemingly completely wild area and there was nothing to suggest that they were being farmed, making them a final dodgy tick for my trip, finishing with 99 species, including 37 endemic species and 24 introduced birds!

South Island of New Zealand

On the 14th November, I arrived in Queenstown in south of the amazing country that is New Zealand. I have extremely fond memories of visiting as a nine year-old back in 2006, and as it is the country of my mother's birth, it really feels like a very special place to me! With a fantastic number of highly-unusual endemic birds, extraordinary seabirds and a great deal of other magnificent wildlife, this really is a wildlife-lover's paradise!

After a night spent in a really rather foul hostel, I headed down to the shore of Lake Wakatipu and then on to the Queenstown Gardens the next morning. The endemic New Zealand Scaup, along with Black-billed (another endemic) and Kelp Gulls were additions to my challenge total, all seen in the centre of town.

Kelp Gull in Queenstown. This species is very common in South America, southern Africa and New Zealand, but is bizarrely a very scarce bird in Australia!

The endangered Black-billed Gull was very common around Queenstown

New Zealand Scaups were abundant on Lake Wakatipu

Other waterbirds seen around the lake included numerous manky Mallard hybrids, with the ugly combination of the genes of pure Mallards and farm ducks producing some truly foul specimens, while several Pacific Black Duck-Mallard crosses were also present. I couldn't identify any 'pure' individuals of either species! Little Pied Cormorants and Eurasian Coots were also common, while several stunning 'Australasian' Great Crested Grebes were also on the lake.

The resplendent 'Australasian' Great Crested Grebe (of subspecies australis)

It is certainly fair to say that the birdlife in this area (as indeed in much of New Zealand) has a very European feel, thanks to numerous introductions by settlers in the 19th Century. In the Queenstown Gardens, an abundance of Common Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Dunnocks crept about the undergrowth, while Common Chaffinches, European Greenfinches, European Goldfinches and Common Redpolls (ironically an addition to my challenge total!) chirped from the trees, along with Common Starlings and House Sparrows, both of which were also present in high numbers.

It was very nice to find some endemic native passerines in the gardens as well, with the magnificent Tui, the world's largest Honeyeater species (and perhaps the bird with the most varied voicebox) and stunningly-tuneful New Zealand Bellbird, both common. Several Grey Gerygones were also seen, while one of New Zealand's few native but not endemic songbirds, the Silvereye, was very common indeed. On a small pool in the middle of the gardens, it was very nice to see this stunning pair of Paradise Shelducks, yet another bird found only in this country.

Male Paradise Shelduck

Female Paradise Shelduck. This species is one of the very few native birds to have benefited from the arrival of Europeans, with much of the country's forest converted into pasture and farmland, along with numerous small ponds being created nationwide. It is now a very common sight indeed across the country.

In the afternoon, I walked into Queenstown Hill Recreational Reserve. It was nice to find some more native bird species in the forest on the walk up, not least several Pipipis (also known as Brown Creepers), a member of the Mohoua family, which consists of three species and is endemic to New Zealand. Numerous Silvereyes, Grey Gerygones and New Zealand Bellbirds, along with usual assortment of European introductions, were also seen. After climbing up through the forest, I reached an open. moorland-like area, which allowed great views over the surrounding breathtaking wilderness. It was very strange to find another invasive species up here, an American introduction this time, in the form of the California Quail. Approximately 20 of this stunning little bird, originally introduced to the country for shooting, were strolling around the top of the hill, with their loud calling echoing for miles around the surrounding valleys.

A magnificent bird, the California Quail.

Another non-native, the Eurasian Skylark, was producing its fantastic melodic call overhead. More pleasing, however, was finding another endemic, with at least five New Zealand Pipits present.

New Zealand Pipit, now commonly deemed to be species in its own right after being split from its Australian relative

Breathtaking view of Queenstown and the surrounding countryside

I ended the day on 597 for my challenge, though having found most of Queenstown's regular species, I suspected it may take a while to find the final three to reach my target.

I spent the next searching for work around Queenstown, as I had intended to stay in the town for a couple of months before touring the rest of the country. After being offered some casual labour work, I decided to pull out due to tax complications, and instead decided to spend my remaining savings travelling north through the country. I had one final night pre-booked in Queenstown and so I used the next day to walk into the nearby Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve. Once again, European birds were omnipresent, along with the common natives seen two days' previously. However, there was a little more diversity here to the native birdlife. A New Zealand Fantail, another endemic, became bird number 598 for my challenge, and it was shortly followed by a magnificent Tomtit, a member of the Australasian Robins family, and once again, a species only found in New Zealand. I was now on 599, one short of my target! I spent the remainder of the walk up the hill contemplating what number 600 would be- perhaps a Kea or New Zealand Falcon at the top? Sadly that didn't happen... Perhaps a surprise South Island Robin in the forest? No again... And then I flushed a bird I had completely forgotten about from the path- a New Zealand Pigeon (called the Kereru in Maori). The bird landed nearby, allowing me to take a photograph. Clearly, with two months' remaining, I had set my target too low, but it was amazing to reflect on how much has happened since I saw my first bird of the challenge, a Carrion Crow, at school in Sherborne just after finishing my final exam on June 17th this year. Since then, I have visited Pompeii and Herculaneum; undertaken a truly life-changing bus trip from San Francisco to New York, not only seeing some of the world's most extraordinary sights (such as Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Washington, D.C.), but also opening my eyes to a truly amazing country where I hope to spend a considerable amount of time in the future; I have also visited Kenya's amazing Kakamega Forest; relocated to Brisbane in Australia and explored the remarkable surrounding wild areas; explored the mind-blowing Queensland coast and now travelling up through New Zealand. What a fantastic time!! 

Number 598, the New Zealand Fantail

And number 600, a stunning species by which to reach my target, the New Zealand Pigeon

The next day, I caught a bus to nearby Wanaka. The journey produced some great birds, with South Island Oystercatchers and Swamp Harriers (a bird that, like the Paradise Shelduck has benefited from European arrival in NZ) a very regular sight by the roadside, while Masked Lapwing and Australian Magpie (yet another introduction!) were also firsts for the trip. A walk around Lake Wanaka produced exactly the same birds as in Queenstown, besides a Yellowhammer, one more European species!

I hoped to find some Alpine species the following day in the mountains surrounding Wanaka. Sadly, strong winds and rain made birding very difficult and I had to make do with this stunning Common Redpoll as the day's highlight:

Breeding-plumage Common Redpoll near Wanaka. 

On the 20th November, I continued north, up to the township of Franz Josef, situated within the magnificent Westland Tai Poutini National Park, next to the world-famous Franz Josef Glacier. On the way, I passed through the incredible Mount Aspiring National Park and the Haast Pass. I will definitely be returning here when I have a car and tent!

It was very pleasing indeed to have five Kea fly over me late in the evening as I walked to the supermarket, it is certainly a good town when Kea are present and Feral Pigeons aren't!

The next morning, I walked up into the nearby forest. I came upon this sign on the way:

I really wish I could travel back in time! It is so sad to imagine what New Zealand would have been all those centuries ago, with the remaining wildlife present a mere remnant of what was once here. The Haast's Eagle in particular, with its three-metre wingspan, must have been a truly extraordinary sight to behold.

Despite the majority of the area's mind-blowing birdlife having become extinct, there are still some pleasing birds to find in the area. Another Kea flew over me as I approached the forest, while a stunning New Zealand Falcon soared overhead. 

The stunning forest of Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Even here, in this extremely remote forest, European introductions were present, with Common Blackbird, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Common Chaffinch all seen, though native passerines were reassuringly common, most especially Tuis, New Zealand Bellbirds, Grey Gerygones, Silvereyes and Tomtits.

One of the most iconic birds of New Zealand, the stunning Tui

One of New Zealand's many magnificent endemic birds, the Tomtit

Other native birds seen included Pipipi, New Zealand Fantail, New Zealand Pigeon and Welcome Swallow. The biggest surprise, however, was finding three Shining Bronze-Cuckoos, a new bird for me in New Zealand, though one that I have seen on numerous occasions in Australia.

A brilliant little bird, the Shining Bronze-Cuckoo. It is one of only four passerines native to New Zealand that breeds both here and in mainland Australia, with the others being the Silvereye, the Welcome Swallow and the Sacred Kingfisher.

I also heard a Long-tailed Cuckoo calling, though frustratingly I was unable to see it, as this endemic would have been a lifer for me!

Lake Wombat in Westland Tai Poutini. It really feels like some mysterious endemic waterbirds should be found here, though sadly most have been hunted to extinction, and two Pacific Black Ducks were all I could find!

The following, I undertook the arduous ten-hour journey up to Nelson at the northern tip of the South Island. On the way, it was pleasing to stop off at Paparoa National Park, where a very brief walk produced brief views of the extraordinary Weka, a 60cm-long, flightless Rail, unsurprisingly endemic to NZ! On top of that, several Spotted Shags flew past and, at the amazing Pancake Rocks, a great number of nesting White-fronted Terns (along with several Variable Oystercatchers) were seen.

Red-billed Gulls are abundant around New Zealand's coast. This bird was previously considered a true species, but is now lumped with Australia's Silver Gull.

White-fronted Tern at the Pancake Rocks

More extraordinary New Zealand scenery!

I spent the following day exploring the very nice little city of Nelson, before moving on to Kaikoura on the 24th. Sadly I had to miss exploring the Abel Tasman National Park. Again, this is something to do next time!

A walk around Kaikoura in the afternoon produced one more addition to my challenge total and to my New Zealand list, with an Australasian Shoveler swimming around just behind the beach. An evening Little Penguin-search was in vain, though seeing this breeding-plumaged Double-banded Plover made the walk worthwhile! A Great Cormorant was also a first for the trip.

Double-banded Plover in Kaikoura

Kaikoura is world-renowned for its pelagic seabird trips, and I was fortunate enough to head out on one the next morning. It was truly extraordinary, just as it had nine years' ago when I last did it. After travelling no more than three miles offshore, the captain put some rather foul-looking meat into the water, and the birds started to appear. I will let the photographs speak for themselves!

The first tubenose seen, a Salvin's Albatross!

The first bird to come to the meat, a Cape Petrel. This species appeared virtually immediately on the food, allowing it to get a feed before the larger birds bullied them away.

Southern Royal Albatrosses, a lifer for me, with the background mountains showing just how remarkkably close to the shore these birds come at Kaikoura!

Gibson's Wandering Albatross (officially an Antipodean Albatross, but I'm not such a fan of this name!). With its extraordinarily elegant flight and unbelievable three-and-a-half-metre wingspan (the largest of any bird), this incredible vulnerable species is undoubtedly my favourite bird in the world. What a great privilege it was to see it so close!

Its immense size compared to the Cape Petrels (approximately as large as Feral Pigeons) can be seen here

New Zealand White-capped Albatross, possibly a future split from the Shy Albatross

Northern Giant Petrel. These really are beasts.

Dark morph Northern Giant Petrel

New Zealand White-capped Albatross

A typical back-of-the-boat shot, with Cape Petrels, two Northern Giant Petrels, a Salvin's Albatross and a Gibson's Wandering Albatross all in shot.

Salvin's Albatross flanked by two Northern Giant Petrels

I definitely would avoid making the Gibson's Wandering Albatross angry...

New Zealand White-capped Albatross. What a stunning bird!

Salvin's (left) and New Zealand White-capped Albatrosses

Two Gibson's Wandering Albatrosses, along with a Salvin's Albatross, three Northern Giant Petrels and two Cape Petrels

Salvin's (right) and New Zealand White-capped Albatrosses and a Northern Giant Petrel

Not a bad view from the back of the boat!

Northern Royal Albatross

Northern Royal Albatross

Westland Petrel

Great-winged (also known as Grey-faced) Petrek

The only Buller's Shearwater of the trip. What amazing wings!

Westland Petrel. 

Gibson's Wandering Albatross next to a Cape Petrel

White-chinned Petrel. These are very similar to the Westland Petrels, though the lack of black on the bill tip is the key to their identification!

Things got messy once the remaining meat was thrown out into the water.

Hutton's Shearwater

It was truly one of the best mornings of my life! The final totals were approximately as follows:

Gibson's Wandering Albatross- 6

Northern Royal Albatross- 4

Southern Royal Albatross- 3

Salvin's Albatross- 15

New Zealand White-capped Albatross- 5

Northern Giant Petrel- 25

Cape Petrel- 35

White-chinned Petrel- 2

Westland Petrel- 20

Buller's Shearwater- 1

Short-tailed Shearwater- 1

Hutton's Shearwater- 15

Australasian Gannet- 1

Red-billed Gull- LOADS

Kelp Gull- LOADS

Tern species- 4

Caspian Tern- 3

What a trip!

Sadly it was time to leave Kaikoura the next day and to head up to Picton. I had planned to do a birding trip the following morning, however with a poor weather forecast, I changed trip and instead did a wildlife-watching one on the afternoon of the 26th. Cruising into Marlborough Sounds, I was very pleased to nearly immediately spot a Little Penguin on the surface of the water. This one of approximately four of the world's smallest Penguin species that I saw in the Sound themselves. Our first stop was at a Spotted Shag colony, where we enjoyed fantastic views of this New Zealand endemic.

Spotted Shags in Queen Charlotte Sound

A little further out, the Sound was swarming with Fluttering Shearwaters. Hundreds of these fantastic birds, once harvested for meat, were buzzing just above the surface of the water, while numerous Australasian Gannets flew about rather less gracefully, piercing the ocean with incredible speed and power, before reappearing at the surface with a bill full of fish.

The next stop was by some rocks, home to one of the rarest seabirds in the world. This was the New Zealand King Shag, a bird only found in Marlborough Sounds with a worldwide population of approximately 650. Thankfully, two were present on these rocks, a fantastic lifer for me.

New Zealand King Shag, a truly rare bird found nowhere else in the world. 

We soon came upon a large pod of dolphins, which showed extraordinarily well, with several Dusky Dolphins coming right up to the boat and leaping up out of the water. That was trumped, however, by the sight of a Hector's Dolphin, New Zealand's only endemic cetacean and an endangered species with a rapidly-declining population of approximately 7000, just next to the boat. It was an absolutely amazing creature to see, and at only 1.4 metres long, a true midget of the marine mammals. Sadly the strong swell combined with my excitement to ensure my photography of these creatures was truly awful! Not long later, several New Zealand Fur Seals were seen very well just next to a Salmon farm.

Our next stop was Belmine Island, though sadly this non-specialist-birding trip didn't allow me the opportunity to get off the boat and search the island for the critically endangered Malherbe's Parakeet, which has been reintroduced to the predator-free island. I shall have to come back!

Variable Oystercatcher. A nice bird, but not quite as exciting as a Malherbe's Parakeet...

The final stop was Motuara Island, another predator-free island that has been used to build up populations of several native New Zealand passerines. Two each of New Zealand Falcon and New Zealand Pigeon flew overhead as we approached, and the birdsong was truly amazing. Thankfully, we were able to walk around this bird-paradise island and it was great to see some of the country's magnificent birds thriving here. New Zealand Bellbirds, Tuis, Grey Gerygones and South Island Robins were truly abundant, the latter originating from four birds brought here some time ago from Stewart Island, growing to a population of at least 600!

South Island Robin on Motuara Island. Though completely wild, these birds are extraordinarily tame, at one point landing on someone's shoe!

New Zealand Pigeon on Motuara Island

It was also fantastic to see several South Island Stitchbirds, a bird quite literally saved from extinction by translocating individuals. Once common across the South Island, predation from introduced Rats, Mustelids and Cats drove them to extinction on the mainland. They quickly became restricted to Big South Cape Island near Stewart Island, though when Muttonbird-harvesters arrived on the island in 1963, they inadvertently brought Rats with them. Though this marked the end of two species' worldwide existence- the South Island Snipe and Bush Wren, New Zealand's Department of Conservation worked rapidly to save the South Island Saddleback, capturing 36 individuals and transferring them to various islands that were still predator-free. Today, over 700 individuals exist. I felt incredibly lucky to see at least five of them. 

On top of these extraordinary birds, I was extremely pleased to see two Yellow-crowned Parakeets on two occasions. Again, this bird was once common across both islands, though introduced predators rapidly reduced its range. Amazingly, it has been able to cling on in some parts of both islands, though to ensure the security of its future, several were brought to Motuara Island and other predator-free islands. There is now a healthy population of these birds here, and as they are now fully self-sustaining, it counted as a lifer for me. 

Besides the aforementioned native passerines, Motuara Island has also been used to build up numbers of the rarest Kiwi species, the Okarito Brown Kiwi. Sadly none were to be seen today, as the Department of Conservation transfers all chicks born back down south to Westland every year. The island has been covered with nest boxes, supposedly for use by the Kiwis. Amusingly, Little Penguins took over every single box before the Kiwis were brought back to island. Consequently, this has created an extraordinary opportunity to see these birds up close, and I enjoyed views down to several inches with a number of this very special bird.

Little Penguin on Motuara Island in a Kiwi nest box. What a special creature.

This marked the end of my second amazing trip in as many days. A complete washout in Picton has at least given me the opportunity to update my blog, and I am heading over to the North Island by ferry tomorrow!