Page 27 - The Villager September 2021

Birding

Boiling mud

Lady Knox geyser at Pohutu Collapsed Caves

way back to the camper for some En route to Rotorua, we flushed a viewed the collapsed caves, boiling
refreshment and warmth. And it was pair of Californian Quails, a species pools of mud and many other steamy
while soaking up the sunshine that introduced to NZ some time ago. After curiosities before going on to do some
my son, Des, quite suddenly saw our booking into the motor park on the shopping for provisions in Rotorua.
elusive quarry in a very low nearby shores of Lake Rotorua in the early We then drove to Miranda, a coastal
bush. Realising it had been spotted, it afternoon, Maureen and I strolled mudflat area located at the base of the
immediately disappeared, to the utter along the lake shores, enjoying scope Firth of Thames on the western side
dismay of our group, as not a single views of a delightful Australian Little and, on arrival, immediately visited the
other member had had so much as a Grebe with two chicks, excellent Shorebird Centre for a location map
glimpse of it. sightings of a bustling colony of and information relating to our target
I had now sunk into the depths of breeding cormorants and flocks of birds. Minutes later we were scanning,
despair and was feeling miserable gulls, ending a reasonably successful in freezing wind and driving rain, the
when my wife, Maureen, disinterested day. mudflats for shorebirds forced ever
in proceedings and sitting in the An early morning visit to Fletcher’s closer to us by the incoming tide.
front of the camper, casually drew Challenge Forest produced nothing Three Southern Red-breasted
our attention to a largish bird she of interest, but it helped kill time Plovers (NZ Dotterels), hundreds of
was watching on the ground in front before the opening of Wai-o-tapu, Bar-tailed Godwits, Red Knots, a few
of us feeding on some part of the the Rotorua thermal wonderland. We Ruddy Turnstones, a Terek Sandpiper
broom bushes growing at the forest completed a circuit of this famous and a few Wrybills caught our
edge. This time, everyone experienced tourist attraction with its remarkable attention. This last-mentioned species,
saturation views of this highly sought- thermal features on offer, including a small plover, sports a very peculiar
after and attractive bird, the Kokako – the regular 10.30am eruption each day bill – the final segment before the tip
mission finally accomplished! of the Lady Knox geyser at Pohutu. We curves to the right, always without

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