Page 29 - Waterfall Issue 5 2021

Southern Royal Albatross (RS) Yellow-eyed Penguin pair (POST CARD ISSuED BY CONSERvATION DEPT)
After early morning birding at Papanui Resigned to a few distant low flights second lifer of the day, a small party
and Hooper’s Inlets near Portobella, we and one or two equally distant views of Pipipis (Brown Creepers). It was
moved on to Nugget Point for a brief of perched Fernbirds, I finally could here that we were joined as planned
visit to the lighthouse and a spell of not endure the atrocious weather any by Des and Kirsty who had departed
pelagic birding – largely thousands of longer and made for the comforts from South Africa a few days after
‘muttonbirds’, Sooty Shearwaters. We of the camper. Passing over an area us. The four of us checked into the
then met up with our guide, Kath, for of bracken and mindful of the origin spotlessly clean Lorneville Holiday Park
a walk in the Catlins Forest in search of of the name of the Fernbird, I once after a very cold but enjoyable day.
the elusive Yellowhead, but alas, our again resorted to the magic bottle and
efforts were in vain. As a consolation ‘glory be’ up popped a Fernbird too We travelled on in rainy and freezing
prize, we did encounter a number close for focussing my binoculars. It’s wind conditions the next day to the
of forest species, namely the South a stunning little bird, that displays a coastal town of Bluff where we parked
Island Tomtit, NZ Bellbird and Grey white chin and rufous cap, with black- our camper van and boarded the
Gerygone. The forest, although warm, streaking down the mantle and back, ferry for the crossing of the Foveaux
was almost totally devoid of birds culminating in a strange and wispy tail. Channel between South and Stewart
except for the vociferous Bellbirds. Islands. The temperature was below
º
Before checking into our overnight The next stop was Maclean’s Falls 10 C, apparently not unusual during
Motor Camp, Papatowai, we were requiring a 40-minute return walk November in these latitudes.
shown a NZ Sea Lion and a nest of through the rain forest to a spot where
the variable Oystercatcher containing the river plunges 22m into a steep The foul weather, however, prevented
three eggs, on the nearby beach. ravine – very impressive! A loose any meaningful pelagic birding.
bracket holding our camper water- The drenched glass windows on
The target bird the following morning tank in place required a short stop the speeding ferry made it almost
was the NZ Fernbird, resident of the at a filling station before moving on impossible to identify most of the
grasses that grow in the salt marshes through Invercargill and nearby (22km) seabirds, a challenging exercise at the
such as at the Tautuku Estuary. It had Greenhills Bush where I enjoyed my best of times, although we did spot
rained throughout the previous night,
a cold front having moved in across
the island accompanied by gale-
force winds, so my lonely board walk
(Maureen having cleverly remained
cocooned in the camper) in wind
and rain was sheer torture and even
the tried and tested local technique
of rubbing a piece of polystyrene
foam against a glass bottle creating
a high-pitched squeaky sound to
entice the bird out into the open for
easy observation, failed dismally. Little Penguin (AR) Brown Creeper (AR)

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