Hi all,
Alan's attempt (and subsequent failure) to see those 4
species in South Island NZ is not particularly surprising.
He was beaten by the weather twice, by extreme rarity once
and by extreme shyness once. So here are my tips for Okarito
Kiwi, Great Spotted Kiwi, Blue Duck and Rock Wren:
Okarito Kiwi: Alan did it right but chose the wrong
weather!! Ian Cooper has an almost 100% success rate at
finding the birds, and I you wont find anyone who cares more
about "their" birds than him. The West coast is a pretty wet
sort of place at the best of times, but a visit in summer
has to be a better bet. As Alan noted, trying for them in
the rain is hopeless.
Great Spotted Kiwi: Alan went to the right place (or at very
least the right area, since I dont know exactly where he
went) but this species is responsible for more wasted
birding effort than any other in NZ. They are ridiculously
shy. I have "refined" my technique for finding them at
Punakaiki, and the exact place to have the best chance, over
the past several years. I have been within 10m of GSK on at
least 4 occasions without seeing one, and have only actually
had a decent view once!! Punakaki is probably the easiest
place to try but I wouldnt give anyone a better than 20%
chance of seeing the bird - less if its rainy.
Blue Duck: Wrong island!! There are some Blue Ducks left in
the South but they are few in number and hard to find. A few
sightings along the Milford Road in the past couple of years
but hard to pin down there. In the central North Island
there is a well known site with lots of birds and almost
guaranteed views. I have not seen Blue Duck in South Island
since they were pushed out of the Arthur's Pass area several
years ago, but rarely put much time and effort in in the
South these days - it just isn't worth it.
Rock Wren: Homer Tunnel, within 200m of the road, is by far
the best place. Heavy or persistent rain reduces one's
chances to virtually nil. Even in good weather they can be
quite un-cooperative at times, though on other days they
just get very showy. This species is as charming as any bird
can be - so dont give up!1 You'll get it one day Alan.....
cheers
Sav Saville
Wrybill Birding Tours,NZ
"Great Birds, Real Birders"
www.wrybill-tours.com
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