Hi All, ( apologies re hotmail playing up on my previous post - I have now put
something in the subject line )Thank you again to everyone who gave us tips re
spending a day at Tiri Tiri Matangi. We enjoyed a sensational day out there at
the beginning of September under a bright, sunny sky with no wind.Here are a
few of the highlights:- We saw two Kokako on the Wattle Trail and heard them
both calling. I did manage to get a couple of pics of these incredible birds
so if anyone is interested in images, please email me.- Gregory the portly
Takahe. The avian equivalent to Rumpole of the Old Bailey but with way fewer
table manners, Gregory delights himself at lunch each day on Tiri Tiri,
inviting himself to guest's sandwiches which he steals right out of their hands
and mouths. Very naughty. He got a bit territorial over his midday sangas at
a point where another Takahe decided to visit. This threw him into a fit of
feather fluffing, ruffled chest and foot stomping in order to defend his
position at the lunch area. He was quite entertaining to watch.- The
abundance of native plants emitted a fragrance I hadn't previously experienced
in NZ forests - it was wonderful.- The sheer numbers of native birds on Tiri
Tiri made my visit to Motuara in Queen Charlotte sound pale in comparison. We
ended up losing track of some of the numbers of birds we saw.- A number of
feeders have been set up around Tiri Tiri to counter the lack of flowering
blossoms. At one feeder we came across a Stitchbird who we thought was being a
bit of a glutton. He not only commanded the best spot but scared other birds
away from it so he could get the most, first. It was great to watch if a bit
frustrating as I really wanted to photograph him without the grid lines of the
feeder but he won out over me in the patience stakes. There was just no way he
was going to risk losing his spot on the feeder.- One of the most plentiful
birds we saw were Tuis. We must have hit them at the right time of year as we
encountered quite a number of them doing display flights over the island which
was spectacular to watch.- Until Tiri Tiri I had only seen sporadic single NZ
Saddlebacks. Tiri Tiri has many and they are all over the island. The oddest
thing we noticed with the Saddlebacks occurred when we saw two foraging in the
seaweed at the high tide mark. We wondered what they might have been looking
for in there.- At lunchtime we noticed a Pukeko using its foot to feed like a
parrot - something that was new to me.- A NZ forest alive with birdsong - it
was simply a delight to sit in the middle of it and just listen.So without
further ado, here is a bird list of the species we saw:Ferry TripKelp Gull
(9)Pied Shag (2)Black Shag (2)Red-billed Gull (17)Common Diving Petrel
(12)White-fronted Tern (3)Welcome Swallow (4)Australasian Gannet (40+)IslandTui
(300+)Saddleback (30+)Whitehead (22) - Wattle TrackStitchbird (11) - Kawerau
TrackKokako (2) - Wattle TrackNew Zealand Pigeon (1) - Wattle TrackVariable
Oystercatcher (4)Kelp Gull (2)Red-billed Gull (6)Little Penguin (2)North Island
Robin (2) - both Wattle and Kawerau TracksRed-crowned Parakeet (5)Pukeko
(16)Takahe (2)Welcome Swallow (6)Bellbird (400+)Fantail (30+)Tiri Tiri is
highly recommended. If anyone would like to see pics, including some of the
Saddlebacks foraging in seaweed, please let me know.Cheers,Inger
Inger Vandyke
Natural History Writer and Photographer
Publicity Officer - Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association (SOSSA)
Mob: 0402 286 437
www.ingervandyke.com
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