New Zealand No. 7
Following on from the previous New Zealand No.6 blog. Once again all the photographs were taken by ourselves.
Another early start as we are visiting Kapiti Island for two nights. We caught the ferry skipper by John Bennett, who agreed he would take us on Kiwi walks at 10.00 pm on both nights when it was dark. On the first night we had good views of 2 with others heard calling, and similar on the second night, when one nearly ran over out feet. no photographs as flash is prohibited. John also kindly took us for a walk to the lagoon where Spoonbills were breeding.
Looking from Paraparaumu beach to Kapiti Island,
Looking North of Kapiti Island
The lodge area on Kapiti. On both our nights we went out
looking for Lesser Spotted Kiwis with 2 seen and 3 heard on
our first night and 1 seen and 3 heard on our second night.
Our cabin on Kapiti
New Zealand Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pipit outside of our cabin
.
New Zealand Pipit: This pipit is endemic to New Zealand has four subspecies. It has recently been split from Australasian Pipit. We saw 2 on Kapiti Island, but only 10 at four sites in total.
Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
Whitehead on Kapiti Island
Whitehead is endemic to New Zealand and we recorded 20 on Kapiti Island and 30 on Tiritiri Island.
Chiefly restricted to North Island quite widespread in rough open areas, unlike its cousin the Yellowhead, the Whitehead is not a hole nester, and therefore doesn't suffer so much to the predation of stoats etc.
New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon on Kapiti Island
New Zealand Pigeon is the only pigeon endemic to New Zealand with a widespread distribution through the country, from Northland to Stewart Island and some offshore islands including Kapiti Island.
The odd Takahe was seen stomping around the Island, taking no notice of us.
North Island Kokako callaeas wilsoni
North Island Kokako on Kapiti Island
When we stayed on Kapiti Island, it took Doreen and myself some time to catch up with this special bird but we did obtain some fine views in the end. In the early 1900's the Kokako was common in forests throughout North Island and some offshore islands. The main cause for its decline was forest clearance for farming, and the introduction of predators ie rats and stoats. Today's population is now on the increase mainly through relocations of Kokako to predator free islands.
North Island Saddleback Philesturnus rufusater
North Island Saddleback on Kapiti Island
North Island Saddleback is endemic to New Zealand. It was once placed as a subspecies of the South Island Saddleback, but it has now been classified as a full specie. Because of the decline of the Saddlebacks on the mainland, due to the introduction of predatory mammals especially ships rats, and stoats, and by the early 1900's North Island Saddleback just had a single population on Hen Island. In the 1960's birds were re-located to 15 offshore Islands which included Kapiti Island in the 1980's. It has now been estimated that the population has increased to 7,000 birds.
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
Pied Cormorant on Kapiti Island.
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
A small colony of Royal Spoonbills on Kapiti Island.
Royal Spoonbill was first recorded in New Zealand in 1861,and is now widespread with a breeding population in 2014 of at least 614 nests. The main population is in Australia, with straggles to Indonesia and New Guinea.
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax coldonicus
A distant Nankeen Night Heron near the lagoon on Kapiti Island
Nankeen Night Heron has only recently been established in New Zealand and it is only resident along the Whanganui River area, and elsewhere it is an infrequent vagrant. Its main distribution area is Australia, although it has wandered to areas in Asia. They are largely nocturnal and seldom seen during the day and the population is around 50 birds. We must have been lucky to find one on Kapiti Island. I guess it may have arrived with the Spoonbills.
