So what did this past weekend hold for me you ask? Amazing experiences with the birds of New Zealand of course! Now don't get me wrong, the beaches were beautiful but it really is hard to top a good weekend of bird watching.
We traveled to the far off land of Abel Tasman national park this weekend and this trip probably turned out to be the best one yet. We succeeded in having very few mess ups on this trip and everything that we planned actually happened for once. The drive to Abel Tasman took more than 6 and a half hours but it was well worth it. We drove through the Misty Mountains (as they are known in Lord of the Rings) and were almost all the way on the West Coast! Our drive to the campground where we stayed, Totaranui, was full of many near death experiences as we wove our way through a 12km one lane gravel road that has a cliff face on one side if you get too close and the promise of a bumpy ride down the mountain if you get to close to the other side,but Sophie, the girl who was driving, masterfully got us there in one piece.
While we were setting up out tent at about 9:45 or 10 that night, we heard the whistle of a kiwi bird. I was a bit unwilling to believe that's really what it was at first but I checked by wildlife book and I am now 100% sure that's what we were hearing. It was so exciting to hear them all night long! The males and females were distinctly different and I hardly slept because of all the racket they were making, but it was so worth it to be able to say I listened to them all night. The next morning when we got up we scurried down to the beach to look for foot prints of the kiwis that were feeding there the night before and there were so many!
 |
| Those prints that look like chicken feet are actually Kiwi prints!!!!!! |
After setting down came we went for a 6 and a half hour hike through the (rain)forest and along several beaches. Abel Tasman really is a pretty place. It was on our way to the main trail when we saw the Weka and Pukekos. Both species are endemic to NZ and they are flightless. So cool!
 |
| Weka |
 |
| Pukeko |
During our hike we also heard a grey warbler. It is a discrete, tiny songbird but its call is the most complex and amazing call I have ever heard. Here is a taste of Abel Tasman...
 |
| I feel like every picture I take looks like it is really just a printed postcard |
 |
| Separation point (+ Sophie) |
After a long day of hiking we decided to move on to Picton where we would be leaving our rental car and catching a bus home. I think Picton is my very favorite town in New Zealand so far. It is cute and quiet yet there seems to be something going on if ever you want to have an adventure. This is where I got to see 4 bird species and 2 hybrid bird species all at one time! Observe:
 |
| Here you can see Red-billed Gulls, Black-billed Gulls, Hybrid Black-Red-billed gulls, Grey ducks, Mallards, and Hybrid Grey duck-Mallards! The 'dancing duck' is a Mallard-greyduck. The grey duck is endemic to NZ and Mallards are self introduced and now they interbreed so it is not unheard of to see hybrids all over the country. |
And now I shall leave you with the dancing duck! Good day to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment