Queen Charlotte Sound

Trip Report New Zealand 2004

Simon Plat, Maaike Poppinga
Dates: 24-02-2003 till 13-03-2003
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Queen Charlotte Sound

Location: QCS is in the northern tip of South Island in the Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park. Entrance to the northern parts, where King Shag can be found is only by boat. We used the service of Dolphin Watch Ecotours, with their departure dock in Picton. Allow at least 4 hours to drive to Picton from Christchurch.

Costs: The excursion into the sound was NZ $ 88,- per person for an afternoon excursion, starting at 13:30 and ending around 18:00.

Date(s): 03-12-2004

Notes: The guides from Dolphin Watch Ecotours are well trained in spotting birds and dolphins and very friendly. It is not completely guaranteed to find King Shag on an afternoon trip, because there is not enough time to go to the breeding rock. But there is a fair chance anyway and this way it can be combined with the morning ferry (9:00 departure) from Wellington. The ferry was also very productive due to good winds.

Highlights (including the Wellington - Picton ferry): New Zealand White-headed Albatross (V Wellington - Picton), Fairy Prion (CC - Wellington - Picton), Westland Petrel (V Wellington - Picton), King Shag (3), New Zealand (South Island) Robin (1 Motuara Island), Hectors Dolphin, Dusky Dolphin

Pics:

	View from the platform on Motuara Island is great. The QCS is very scenic indeed.
One of the three King Shags we found. All were fouraging in the first half of the sound, luckily because we didn't go to the breeding rock.
	Our first dophin of the trip was the small endemic Hectors Dolphin. About four were present around our boat for about 20 minutes.
An obviously ringed South Island Robin, reintroduced on Motuara Island and relatively easy to find there.
	The most charming of the dolphins we came across: Dusky Dolphin. We found a group of about 10 individuals. Unfortunately not very playfull this time.

Bird List:

Column 1: E= endemic species; Eb=endemic breeding species
Column 2: Near-threatened; V=Vulnerable
Last column: W=Ferry Wellington - Picton, q=Queen Charlotte Sound

		Eudyptula minor	Little Penguin	Dwergpinguïn	1
	Nt	Thalassarche cauta	NZ White-headed Albatross	Witkapalbatros	5^w
		Thalassarche salvini/cauta	Shy Allbatross spp		V^w
		Pachyptila turtur	Fairy Prion	Duifprion	CC^w
Eb	V	Procellaria westlandica	Westland Petrel	Westlandstormvogel	V
Eb		Puffinus gavia	Fluttering Shearwater	Vlinderpijlstormvogel	C
		Morus serrator	Australian Gannet	Pacifische Jan-van-gent	X
		Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant	Aalscholver	V
E	V	Phalacrocorax carunculatus	Rough-faced (King) Shag	Wrattenaalscholver	3^q
		Phalacrocorax melanoleucos	Little Pied Cormorant	Kleine Bonte Aalscholver	V
E		Phalacrocorax punctatus	Spotted Shag	Gevlekte Aalscholver	XX
		Phalacrocorax sulcirostris	Little Black Cormorant	Zwarte Aalscholver	V
		Phalacrocorax varius	Pied Cormorant	Bonte Aalscholver	V
E		Tadorna variegata	Paradise Shelduck	Paradijscasarca	V
		Circus approximans	Swamp Harrier	Moeraskiekendief	V
		Porphyrio porphyrio	Purple Swamphen	Purperkoet	X
E		Haematopus finschi	South Island Oystercatcher	Nieuwzeelandse Bonte Scholekster	V
E		Haematopus unicolor	Variable Oystercatcher	Nieuwzeelandse Zwarte Scholekster	V
		Himantopus leucocephalus	White-headed Stilt	Witkopsteltkluut	V
		Vanellus miles	Masked Lapwing	Maskerkievit	V
		Larus dominicanus	Kelp Gull	Kelpmeeuw	XX
E		Larus scopulinus	Red-billed Gull	Roodsnavelmeeuw	XX
		Sterna striata	White-fronted Tern	Tara-stern	XX
		Ninox novaeseelandiae	Southern Bobook	Boeboekuil	1
		Hirundo neoxena	Welcome Swallow	Welkomzwaluw	X
E		Petroica australis	New Zealand Robin	Nieuwzeelandvliegenvanger	1^q
		Rhipidura fuliginosa	Grey Fantail	Grijze Waaierstaart	V
		Zosterops lateralis	Silvereye	Grijsrugbrilvogel	X
E		Anthornis melanura	New Zealand Bellbird	Maori-belhoningvogel	V

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