South Island Highlands

Trip Report New Zealand 2004

Simon Plat, Maaike Poppinga
Dates: 24-02-2003 till 13-03-2003
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South Island Highlands

Location: This area is not known by that name but I feel free to do it anyway. I mean the region where Black Stilt can be found, globally between Omarama in the south, Mount Cook in the north and Fairlie in the east and Twizel in the centre. The area is about 250 km (three hours at least) from Christchurch. In this chapter I also included the coastal area of Oamaru, about 1,5 hour drive north of Dunedin, and the Otago peninsula direct east of Dunedin (1/2 hour drive).

Costs: NZ $ 50,- for a guided tour to the albatross colony of the Otago peninsula.

Date(s): 05-12-2004

Notes: This is one of the most scenic areas of New Zealand, yet we left as quick as we got there, due to the bad weather, including snow blizzards. If possible, allow more time to explore the area. By far the best bet to find Black Stilts is the northern part of Lake Pukaki, behind the small airfield in Glentanner. You can park the car behind the airfield, pass the gate and walk on to the lake with the airstrip on your right. The Stilts can be very far away so take a scope.

Highlights: Yellow-eyed Penguin (2 Oamaru), Stewart Island Shag (XX), Black Stilt (2 juv and 4 ad Lake Pukaki), Wrybill (V Lake Pukaki), Double-banded Plover (XX Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo), Black-billed Gull (XX), Black-fronted Tern (XX)

Pics:

	Scenery is dramatic in this area. Unfortunately we had pretty bad weather, but the snow does make the mountains prettier.
This Black-billed Gull is fighting over a left over. Black-billed Gull is the common gull in the inlands of New Zealand.
	The coast of Oamaru, fortunately the weather was better than inland.
We found this juvenile Yellow-eyed Penguin on a beach outside their protected breeding areas. Hopefully it was not abandoned by its parents.
	This subadult Norther Royal Albatross made a nice show of his attempts to land on the windy peninsula. It took him at least 4 tries before he touched down. And that made him quite happy.

Bird List:

Column 1: E= endemic species; Eb=endemic breeding species
Column 2: E=Endangered; Nt=Near-threatened; V=Vulnerable
Last column: ^o=Oamaru, ^p=Lake Pukaki, ^d=Dunedin (Otago Pen.)

		Eudyptula minor	Little Penguin	Dwergpinguïn	1
Eb	E	Megadyptes antipodes	Yellow-eyed Penguin	Geeloogpinguïn	2
		Diomedea sanfordi	Northern Royal Albatross	Noordelijke Koningsalbatross	8^d
		Thalassarche salvini/cauta	Shy Allbatross spp		15^o
	Nt	Macronectes halli	Northern Giant-Petrel	Noordelijke Reuzenstormvogel	1^o
		Puffinus griseus	Sooty Shearwater	Grauwe Pijlstormvogel	1^o
E	V	Phalacrocorax chalconotus	Bronzed/Stewart Island Shag	Stewart Island Aalscholver	XX
		Phalacrocorax melanoleucos	Little Pied Cormorant	Kleine Bonte Aalscholver	V
E		Phalacrocorax punctatus	Spotted Shag	Gevlekte Aalscholver	V^o
		Phalacrocorax sulcirostris	Little Black Cormorant	Zwarte Aalscholver	V
		Phalacrocorax varius	Pied Cormorant	Bonte Aalscholver	V
		Egretta novaehollandiae	White-faced Heron	Witwangreiger	V
		Anas gracilis	Grey Teal	Grijze Taling	V^p
		Anas rhynchotis	Australian Shoveler	Australische Slobeend	1^p
		Anas superciliosa	Pacific Black Duck	Wenkbrouweend	V^p
E		Tadorna variegata	Paradise Shelduck	Paradijscasarca	XX
		Circus approximans	Swamp Harrier	Moeraskiekendief	V
E		Haematopus unicolor	Variable Oystercatcher	Nieuwzeelandse Zwarte Scholekster	V^o
		Himantopus leucocephalus	White-headed Stilt	Witkopsteltkluut	X
E	C	Himantopus novaezelandiae	Black Stilt	Zwarte Steltkluut	6^p
E	V	Anarhynchus frontalis	Wrybill	Scheefsnavelplevier	V
Eb		Charadrius bicinctus	Double-banded Plover	Dubbelbandplevier	XX
		Vanellus miles	Masked Lapwing	Maskerkievit	V
E	V	Larus bulleri	Black-billed Gull	Zwartsnavelmeeuw	XX^p
		Larus dominicanus	Kelp Gull	Kelpmeeuw	X
E		Larus scopulinus	Red-billed Gull	Roodsnavelmeeuw	X
E	E	Sterna albostriata	Black-fronted Term	Nieuwzeelandse Sterm	XX^p
		Sterna striata	White-fronted Tern	Tara-stern	V
E	Nt	Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae	New Zealand Pigeon	Nieuwzeelandse Duif	V
		Hirundo neoxena	Welcome Swallow	Welkomzwaluw	X
		Anthus novaeseelandiae	Australasian Pipit	Australische Pieper	V
E		Gerygone igata	Grey Gerygone	Maori-mangrovezanger	V
		Zosterops lateralis	Silvereye	Grijsrugbrilvogel	V
E		Anthornis melanura	New Zealand Bellbird	Maori-belhoningvogel	2

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