Hi there
Rein Hofman posted this picture on aviceda - ABID as an adult Black-chinned
Honeyeater. It looks unlike either sub-species I've seen. Yellow base to the
bill, no blck chin? I'm not saying it isn't, it just looks really odd to me.
Any thoughts:
http://www.aviceda.org/abid/newimages.php?action=latestimages&p=4&pagesize=1
Kind regards
Rob Morris Brisbane, Australia > Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:43:28 -0800> From:
> To: > Subject: [Birding-Aus]
New Zealand South Island trip report> > > > > > Spent 15 days travelling around
the south island - 11 of> them aboard the Orion, an expedition/cruise ship in
early December 2008. Spent> no time inland, but saw most of coast from Nelson
to Fiordland as well as> Stewart Island and the sub-Antarctic Snares Islands
(albeit briefly).> > > > Good birdwatching is sparse on the east coast of the
South> Island, pretty much the entire coast has been cleared at some point and
even> the large areas of sub-tropical rainforest such as Able Tasman NP and>
Marlborough Sounds are secondary re-growth. Step into forests in the south>
island and things are very quiet - due mainly to predators (Stoats, Ferrets,>
Weasles and Rats). There are however a few dedicated conservation areas where
NZ> has removed predators and native species have be
en highly successful> re-colonising them> > > > Able Tasman NP - Lots> of
Variable Oystercatchers around as well as Reef Heron (Eastern Reef Egret in>
Australia) with a nest in a cliff cave on one of the small islands. Caspian
and> White-fronted Terns, Gulls - Black-backed (Kelp) and Red-billed (Silver),>
Spotted, Pied, Little Pied, Black and Great Shags. Didn't venture into the
forest> there, but there wasn't much calling that I could hear from the coast.
Kererū> or New Zealand Pigeon were> common though.> > > > Marlborough Sounds
-> Ships Cove and Motuara Island - Motuara Island is a real conservation>
success story - the NZ dept. of conservation have completely removed all>
predators (including rats) and the island functions as a nursery for Brown
Kiwi> young.> > > > The island itself is small (approx. 60ha) and
consequently> the island is saturated with endangered birds. South Island Robin
and> Saddleback (both all but extinct on the mainland) approach within inches a
s
do Fantail> and Bellbird. There is a small pond about 100m or so up the only
track on the> island which birds will come to bathe at. The Kiwi conservation
areas are not> accessible, so you won't see them here (Stewart Island is the
place for that).> > > > Ships Cove is adjacent to Motorua Island on the
'mainland' and> the difference is palpable - no Robins, Saddlebacks or even
Fantails. However> South Island Weka will come and say hi, they're very tame.
Coastal birds incl.> Paradise Shellduck, Variable Oystercatcher White-fonted
Terns also.> > > > Kaikoura -> pelagic birding is the main attraction here
(see other reports). Albatross can> sometimes be seen from the coast and
coastal birds such as Herons, White-faced> and Reef, Oystercatchers, Terns and
Gulls around the Peninsula.> > > > Banks Peninsula -> saw a small part of the
peninsula around Akoroua briefly. Almost completely> cleared of native
vegetation, gorse is rampant and introduced predators are> highly abundant
.
Despite this there are some good bird attractions here. A> White-flippered
Penguin colony in Flea Bay is managed by a private landholder> who does all her
own predator control (over a massive area!) and nest boxes.> Tours of the
colony are available and there is also a Pied Shag colony right> nest to the
Penguins. Variable Oystercatcher, Paradise Shelduck and Canada> Goose also
benefit from the lack of predators around the penguin colony and all> had eggs
or young when I was there. There are also a few small gullies where> remnant
vegetation and some good bird life persists along the Banks Peninsula> Track
which you must book to walk.> > > > Dunedin -> Apparently some good shorebird
spots around (although we didn't get to them),> but again a heavily modified
coastline in general. The only mainland Albatross> colony (Southern Royals) and
Yellow-eyes Penguin colonies are big tourist> draw-cards and well worth a visit
- not cheap, but your money is going to a> very good cause
.
There is also a large Spotted Shag colony near the heads. > > > > Dunedin to
Snares> - Heading south from Dunedin the seabirds started to appear far more
regularly.> Until now Cape Petrel, a White-capped Albatross or two and the
occasional Giant> Petrel were all we'd seen (apart from Royal Albatross at the
Dunedin colony)> were all we'd seen off the back of the Orion. From Dunedin to
Snares we saw> Salvin's, White-capped, Royal, Wandering, Bullers, Black-browed
and Grey-headed> Albatross. Also Cape Petrels incessantly following the ship
and Northern Gaint> Petrels, smaller petrels and shearwaters became more and
more common.> > > > The Snares - Then> next stop for the boat was the Snares
Islands some 200km off the southern tip> of the south island of NZ. The Snares
are amazing granite structures climbing> to approx. 400m straight out of the
southern ocean. Landing on the island is> prohibited, however we had an
afternoon in the Zodiac's around the shoreline. Observed> tho
u
sands of (Snares) Crested Penguins coming in and out of the water and>
climbing massive, steep rock faced to their burrows (presumably), all the
while> dodging cantankerous NZ fur seals and the occasional Sea-lion. Brown
Skua were> also abundant around the coast and a pair of Antarctic Terns
appeared to be> breeding nearby (they were flying back and forth with fish).
Few Buller's> Albatross to be seen, although the Snares is home to one of the
largest> breeding colonies in the world. Common Diving Petrels were also
around, and> late in the day thousands of Sooty Shearwaters approached the
islands (~3> million nest there).> > > > Had a brief glimpse of a Snares
Island Robin (one of the> endemic land birds on the islands). The Snares (along
with other NZ> sub-Antarctic's e.g. Auckland, Campbell Islands) are free of
introduced predators> (unlike Macquarie), so land birds have a chance there.> >
> > Snares to Fiordland> - from the Snares we headed north through what the
captai
n
described as> respectable swell (up to 8m) to the Fiordland coast. The shelf
is very close to> the shoreline in SW NZ and seabirds can be seen regularly
right on the coast> (literally within meters of it!) Albatross make for a
spectacular sight against> the backdrop of the enormous Fiords (incorrectly
referred to as sounds). Wandering,> White-capped and Salvin's Albatross along
with Shearwaters, Prions and Northern> Giant Petrels were all seen against the
spectacular coastline which> occasionally peered through the low cloud.> > > >
Fiordland, Millford,> Dusky and Doubtfull sounds - (Fiordland) Crested Penguins
can be seen in> the Fiords, although they're by no means common as well as
shags (Spotted> mostly), Gulls and Terns (mostly White-fronted). A Variable
Oystercatcher with a> chick was also seen on a small island in Dusky Sound.
There are numerous> islands in Fiordland and predators have been eradicated
from some of them> allowing a number of endangered birds to retur
n
, but they're difficult to get> to in general in this part of the world.> > >
> There is some spectacular scenery in the Fiords and some> really nice
rainforest, but unless you're on one of the predator-free islands the> birdlife
is sparse.> > > > From Fiordland we headed to Stewart Island - NZs third>
largest island - (accessible by a short ferry ride from Bluff on the South>
Island).> > > > Stewart Island> itself is famous as the best spot in NZ to see
Brown Kiwi (or Kiwi of any kind> for that matter). The island is currently
Mustellid-free (i.e. no stoats,> ferrets or Weasels) and there are serious
plans to have a crack at getting rid> of rats as well. We didn't get to look
for Kiwi unfortunately, however there> are operators who run tours specifically
to see Kiwi. Even without seeing Kiwi,> Stewart Island is a fantastic
birdwatching experience and a fascinating> conservation story.> > > > Ulva
Island is a small satellite island, easily accessable> from Oban Village o
n
Stewart Island and is an absolute must for any birdwatcher> in southern NZ.
In half a day there we saw Kaka, Tui, Bellbird, Saddleback, Red> and
Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Stewart Island Robin, Rifleman at an active nest,
Kererū,> Brown Creeper, Fantail, Bellbird, Variable Oystercatchers with chicks,
Stewart> Island Weka with chicks, White-fronted Tern, Little Penguin and
Black-backed> Gull. We didn't see Yellowhead but they're also around on Ulva.
Water Taxis are> easy to get pretty much any time and there are also guided
tours which are very> worthwhile. Take a guided tour in the morning then go for
a wander by yourself> is the best thing to do - the guides we had were
excellent. Most of them are> actively involved in conservation work rat
trapping, researching breeding or> re-introducing birds such as Rifleman to the
island. > > > > Highlights of Ulva island were Stewart Island Robin feeding>
dependent young on the ground 4 feet away and Weka Family coming straight up to>
us and allowing us to take pictures of them about 10cm away. Seeing Rifleman>
(NZ's smallest bird) up close was also fantastic. They are one of the more>
furtive NZ passerines, generally high up in the forest canopy. We happened>
across an active nest this time (one of the benefits of getting a guide) and>
were able to sit quietly and wait for the birds to come in and out of the nest>
hollow. > > > > Although most of the threatened endemic avifauna is on Ulva,>
the township of Oban on Stewart Island is a great place to see Kaka and Tui>
(better then Ulva actually) and Stewart Island Shag can also be seen around
the> harbour and coastline along with Terns, Gulls and Variable Oystercatchers
(breeding> actively 50m from the main pier). > > > > A few of the images from
the trip can be found at > > http://glenne.zenfolio.com/f802662832 > > PS if
you're a photographer, don't bother taking anything> more than a 200mm into a
forest - http://glenne.zenfolio.com/p266908505/h6c36978#
h
12087e21 shows why. > > > > > Stay connected to the people that matter most
with a smarter inbox. Take a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinbox>
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