Hi everyone, after a few days in the North Island, we took a ferry to the South Island then drove to Abel Tasman National Park, where we stayed 2 nights at a campsite on the beach. It was there that I saw a few common species of waders, and other sea birds, for example this PIED STILT...
...and a BAR TAILED GODWIT, the best bird seen on the beach and a lifer.
The next day we took a water taxi to a different part of the park to go on a hike. Along the way we drove past an island where we saw seals. That was pretty cool.
On the beach at Torrent Bay where the boat dropped us off, I saw this RED BILLED GULL.
On the beach at Torrent Bay where the boat dropped us off, I saw this RED BILLED GULL.
The hike was great. The path wound up the hillside and wound along the coast. We stopped for a quick swim at Sandfly Bay, which makes sense because my sister got bit hard by a sand fly larva (or something like that).
The next day we drove to Pancake Rocks. It's called that because it looks like pancakes stacked one on top of another. At high tide the waves are so strong that water comes shooting into the sky from a series of blow holes. Here's a picture of one of the blow holes, but the picture does not capture the look of Pancake Rock very well.
The next day we drove to Pancake Rocks. It's called that because it looks like pancakes stacked one on top of another. At high tide the waves are so strong that water comes shooting into the sky from a series of blow holes. Here's a picture of one of the blow holes, but the picture does not capture the look of Pancake Rock very well.
During the drive, we stopped for some lunch that overlooked the beautiful ocean, where we had good food and were able to watch some surfers. Literally just in front of the door to the restaurant, to my surprise, I saw this almost endangered WEKA.
After a night at pancake rocks, we drove down to the small tow of Franz Joseph, where we did one of the most memorable things on this trip, hiking on the Franz Joseph Glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. My whole family said that this experience made our top ten most memorable things on the trip list. We took a helicopter up to the glacier and landed on the ice, where we met the rest of our group and our glacier guide Ollie. We put on our crampons (something that you attach to the bottom of our shoes to help us grip the ice), and started our two hour hike. I kept my eye out for the Kea, a parrot only found way up in the mountains. Ollie told us about the glacier which is a large block of ice in constant motion. Franz Joseph Glacier moves down the mountain about 2 meters per day, making it one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world. We walked on the ice, under an ice bridge and even through a small ice tunnel. Ollie would use his heavy pick to make the treaturous "trail" easier for us to walk on. For a minute, he let me lead the group and carry the pick! Just as we were heading back, we all tried the glacier water coming straight from the melted ice. It was in fact so refreshing that we even filled our water bottle with glacier water. The ice melt flows down the glacier, of course, forming the Waiho River, which we hiked the day before. Here is a video of us flying in the helicopter above the glacier!
Out of all the places we stayed at in this country, I would have to say that Lake Pukaki was my favorite. We specifically stayed here so I could look for the critically endangered Black Stilt, the rarest wader in the world. The only place to find it is in the Mackenzie District. In this district there a two large lakes, Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo. The campsite was about a ten minute walk from the lake, so I made my way there. Before I left, I saw this RIFLEMAN, a species of wren and a life bird.
Just as I was observing the Rifleman, this beautiful TOMTIT flew in.
As I made my way to the lake, I saw so many birds! Just as I started my walk, I saw this GREY WARBLER.
I also spotted this COMMON REDPOLL, an uncommon finch species found in Chicago only some winters. Why only some winters? This bird nests in the arctic and only sometimes comes down to southern Canada and the northern states for food when there is a shortage. Chicago is at the far south end of its range. They feed on a number of things such as catkins, seeds, buds of willows, alders, birches, etc. I was sad not to be back in Chicago this winter since it was there this year, but luckily there it also has a range in New Zealand! Here Is a photo below.
My guess is that this one is a NEW ZEALAND DOTTEREL. I am not 100% sure because its really rare, but I've compared my photo to the other dotterels, and it looks most like this one. If I am wrong, please let me know via email or in the comments section.
I eventually made my way to the lake, where I saw NEW ZEALAND SCAUPS, and PARADISE SHELDUCKS. Then I had spotted a wader on the mudflat. It was the mega rare BLACK STILT!!! This is by far the rarest bird I have ever seen, and will definitely be the rarest bird I see on this trip!!! I may never see a rarer bird in my life. You will notice that this Black Stilt has been tagged by scientists to help monitor their population, which according to my field guide is around 200. I was lucky to see 11 Black Stilts this day. I got photos and a video, and one of my photos is posted below. Awesome lifer!
This pretty NEW ZEALAND FANTAIL posed for a photo on my walk back.
Later that night, since I'm half Irish, my family and I wanted to celebrate St. Patricks Day, especially my sister. We asked about an Irish Pub in the area. Of course there wasn't one since we were in the middle of nowhere, but to our surprise there was a restaurant. It just so happened to be a pub, so of course, we gave it a try. My sister ordered an onion pizza, and was delighted to see that the chef had kicked in his St. Patty's day spirit by adding green food coloring to the pizza dough. Gross.
At the restaurant, I snapped this shot of Mt. Cook.
At the restaurant, I snapped this shot of Mt. Cook.
We drove to Christchurch the next morning, the third biggest city in New Zealand. Big thanks to Matthew Cvetas, the leader of my Illinois Young Birders club, who helped me identify the mystery birds in my last post, the Little Shag. Thanks for your help Matthew! After a few nights in Christchurch, we flew to Sydney, Australia, our next destination!
Bird List For South Island Life List 448 (11 life birds in South Island) +
Little Shag (seen recently)
Rifleman 1 life bird!
Tomtit 5 life bird!
New Zealand Dotterel 8 life bird!
Paradise Shelduck 9 life bird!
Spur Winged Plover 3
New Zealand Scaup 75
Black Stilt 11 life bird!
Black Billed Gull 15 life bird!
New Zealand Fantail 4
Grey Warbler 1
Oriental Greenfinch 2
Common Chaffinch 2
Yellowhammer 4 life bird!
Common Redpoll 4 life bird!
Southern Black Backed Gull 5
Red Billed Gull 10
European Goldfinch 5
Australian Magpie X
Swamp Harrier X life bird!
Pied Stilt 6
South Island Oystercatcher 15
Variable Oystercatcher 5
Bar Tailed Godwit 5 life bird!
New Zealand Pipit 3 life bird!
Eurasian Blackbird 3
White Faced Heron 5
Canada Goose 7
House Sparrow 2
European Starling 7
Black Swan 3
New Zealand Pigeon 1
Tui 1
Silvereye 5
Bird List For South Island Life List 448 (11 life birds in South Island) +
Little Shag (seen recently)
Rifleman 1 life bird!
Tomtit 5 life bird!
New Zealand Dotterel 8 life bird!
Paradise Shelduck 9 life bird!
Spur Winged Plover 3
New Zealand Scaup 75
Black Stilt 11 life bird!
Black Billed Gull 15 life bird!
New Zealand Fantail 4
Grey Warbler 1
Oriental Greenfinch 2
Common Chaffinch 2
Yellowhammer 4 life bird!
Common Redpoll 4 life bird!
Southern Black Backed Gull 5
Red Billed Gull 10
European Goldfinch 5
Australian Magpie X
Swamp Harrier X life bird!
Pied Stilt 6
South Island Oystercatcher 15
Variable Oystercatcher 5
Bar Tailed Godwit 5 life bird!
New Zealand Pipit 3 life bird!
Eurasian Blackbird 3
White Faced Heron 5
Canada Goose 7
House Sparrow 2
European Starling 7
Black Swan 3
New Zealand Pigeon 1
Tui 1
Silvereye 5
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