Tom Tarrant and I have exchanged emails over this - it's certainly not an
adult. A young bird still showing a yellow gap looks a good bet as the rest of
the plumage looks good for black-chinned? Thaks for sharing your photos.
Rob Morris Brisbane, Australia > CC: > From:
> To: > Subject: Re:
[Birding-Aus] Is this picture a Black-chinned Honeyeater.> Date: Mon, 19 Jan
2009 21:57:11 +1100> > Hi Rob,> I have just uploaded a few shots of
Black-chinned taken a couple of > weeks ago to my website including an immature
with adult.> > http://www.pbase.com/davidstowe/blackchinned_honeyeater> >
Perhaps an immature (but looking more contrasty than mine due to full > sun
etc)??> > I also photographed immature White-naped (not uploaded yet sorry) and
> they have a very strong orange eye crescent.> I would love to hear others
thoughts too.> Cheers> Dave> > > > On 19/01/2009, at 8:55 PM, robert morris
wrote:> > >> > 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, i
t > > 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 been > > 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 > > function
s 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 as do > > Fantail> and Bellbird. There is a
small pond about 100m or so u> > p 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 start> > ed 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> > > thousands 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 als
o > > 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 captain 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 s
pectacular > > 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 return, 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 Isl
and> > > 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 on
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, Vari> > able 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#h12087e21 > > shows why. > > > >
> Stay connected to the people that matter most > > with a smarter inbox. Take
a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinbox > > >
==========www.birding-aus.org> birding-aus.blogspot.com> > To > > unsubscribe
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mailing list, > send the message:> unsubscribe > > > (in the body of the
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http://livelife.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=669758> >
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