Re: NZ bird guides etc.

[Erika Roper <>]

Thank you to everyone for the helpful information about New Zealand!

As happens at ornithological conferences several field trips have been arranged, including one to Tiri Tiri Martangi. I signed up for that trip before sending my previous email, so it seems I made a good choice! I am unsure yet whether I will be able to hire a car, or if I will have time to travel to other parts of the country, but as I'm not going for several months I have plenty of time to plan and organise myself.

Thanks again!

Erika

On 12 August 2013 17:02, David Rees <> wrote:

Erika

 

Round Auckland good spots are the island of Tiri Tiri Martangi – an open sanctuary with special NZ birds such as Hihi, saddleback, red crowned parakeet, Tui, Bellbird, whitehead, kaka and others.  Book ferry in advance for day trip – see http://www.360discovery.co.nz/timetables-fares/tiritiri-matangi-island-timetable.php.  Rangitoto Island is also good – this is a 600 year old piece of land  http://www.fullers.co.nz/tickets-fares/timetables/rangitoto-island.php - -south coast is often good for waders – including NZ dotterel.   A bit further away – need a hire car - are the bird observatory at Miranda http://www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz/ - can stay there and it has a good bookshop. Tip,  park your car at wetland centre buildings and walk in and do not use the southern car park – there is a problem with break ins down there – I’ve personally seen two there over the years.  Another great spot is at Mirawai to the northwest of Auckland where there is a large, highly accessible Australasian Gannet colony – go early in morning, esp. if a weekend.  There are a number of places in Northland where you can get NI Brown Kiwi.  Further south the Rotorua area is good.  Forests in this area of the NI are much better for birds than those in Northland.

 

The standard bird guide is Heather and Robinson, the field guide to the birds of NZ – published by Viking – a short version with just the plates is available. There is also a simple guide like Crowe’s’ Which NZ bird’ is that published by penguin.  My favourite guide to the NZ bush in general is Dawson and Lucas nature guide to the NZ forest published by Godwit.

 

Have a look at my NZ bird video channel https://vimeo.com/channels/nzbirds for some of NZ native birds.  I also have an Australian birds video channel which I’m also developing https://vimeo.com/channels/ozbirds.

 

Enjoy

 

David Rees