Page 29 - Dainfern Precinct Living 6 2021

BIRDING

a Kiwi), reassured us of the almost and relocated as part of a breeding increase in numbers to 86. In the
certain positive outcome of our programme to three predator-free following 12 years, there was another
expedition. Two and a half hours isolated islands off the coast. relatively spectacular increase in the
later, upon the stroke of midnight, our population to a record 213 individuals
quarry, a single rather nonchalant This charismatic, endemic, plump, in September 2019. Needless to
Kiwi, was thankfully spotted on nocturnal parrot, although flightless, say, this species also qualified for
the trail, to the relief and great is able, through its strong legs and the book referred to earlier as it is
excitement of our exhausted group. reduced wings, to forage in the tree considered to be amongst the most
What an extraordinary and privileged tops (30m up). It makes one of the extraordinary birds on earth.
experience! Back in Oban on our loudest sounds of any bird (it can
walk home in the dark, a Kiwi was be heard 5km away), has a lifespan A fantastic final dinner of scrumptious
heard calling from the garden of one of up to 90 years, weighs between Blue Cod and chips seemed an
of the houses nearby. 2 and 4kg and has an owl-like appropriate end to a highly enjoyable
appearance (prominent facial disc), and successful short sojourn on
Watching TV early the following accounting for its scientific name, Stewart Island. The next morning,
morning, we learnt of the explosion Strigops habroptilus. we were collected by Bruce for our
and burning of a bus in the Homer ferry ride back across the Foveaux
Tunnel, trapping 300 tourists in Breeding is extraordinarily slow, Strait to Bluff. Pelagic birding on
Milford Sound on South Island. they lay only one or two eggs per the return trip was excellent, as was
Fortunately, no one was injured in clutch. It takes nine years to reach the weather, with Shy and Salvin’s
Golden Bay (RS) the tunnel, which was evacuated on maturity and it is totally dependent Mollymawks, Fairy Prion, hundreds
foot. This certainly introduced a high for breeding success upon the of Sooty Shearwaters and a solitary
degree of apprehension amongst our abundance of the fruit of podocarp Buller’s Shearwater, Common Diving
family group pending our planned trees which only occurs on average Petrels and a single Snares (Cape)
visit there within the next day or two. every six years. With a decline in Petrel recorded. Once united with
population to 50 in 1995, extinction our campervan, it was time for some
The final day of our Stewart Island seemed imminent but due to the shopping in Invercargill.
birding visit was to be a pelagic trip committed and dedicated efforts of
out into the Foveaux Strait. Our boat the DOC, the next 12 years saw an Look out for Part 2 in the next edition.
skipper, Bruce, arrived at an early
hour in pouring rain. The weather
deteriorated further as we departed into
the Strait, moving in extremely choppy
seas from island to island (which
make up the Muttonbird Islands) in
search of birds. A solitary, rather glum-
looking Fiordland (Crested) Penguin,
forlornly standing on the shore, a Pied
Shag and the unusual discovery of a
Southern Giant Petrel feeding out at
sea on a dead seal provided some
compensation for the weather which
had by then deteriorated to the point Kaka (AR) New Zealand Pigeon (AR)
where Bruce abandoned the trip and
headed for shore. Surprisingly, only
one of our family experienced some
slight discomfort from our aborted
boat trip but the continuation of rain
and wind into the afternoon dictated
a period of slumber and relaxation for
our somewhat jaded and disappointed
group.

Despite no sighting or even effort
to see this bird, no birding narrative
on a trip to Stewart Island would be
complete without a short reference Tui (AR) Stewart Island NZ Tomtit (AR)
to a bird historically resident on the
island which, in my view, deserves
special mention – and that is the
story of the Kakapo, the world’s
only flightless Parrot. Originally
widespread on the mainland, the
species was very rare (critically
endangered) and on the brink of
extinction when a small population
of about 80 were discovered in the
forests of Stewart Island. These
last-remaining wild birds were
immediately captured by the DOC New Zealand Fantail (AR) Bellbird (AR)
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