| Recently back
from working on a cruise ship between Milford Sound and Auckland. Some
good areas covered, but often had to be in places other than outside birding
at the best times, although saw some good birds along the way. A brief
outline of the highlights below -
01/12
As we hit the sea at the entrance to Milford Sound small pod of dusky
dolphins and amongst them were several Fiordland-crested
penguins. One lone FCP was standing on one of
the boulder beaches near the entrance also. Further out to sea 10s of
white-capped and 1-2 Southern Royal albs,
amongst 100s of sooty shears.
02/12
Nice to see so many variable oystercatchers, several
with young chicks, whilst zodiac cruising around Pickersgill Harbour and
Indian Island area in Dusky Sound. As we departed Dusky Sound and head
around towards the Foveaux Strait in the early evening a lot of bird activity
with 3m+ swell and 25 knot winds. Southern Royal albs
2+, white-capped albs 100s, Salvin's alb
1+, giant petrel sp 10s, sooty shears
1000s, Cape petrel 10s, Cook's petrel
10s, Westland petrel 2, MOTTLED PETREL
10s, SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL 1, prion sp
5 distant, common diving-petrel 10s, Australasian
gannet 1, Arctic skua 1. A bit of a different
feeling seeing soft-plumaged and mottled petrels whilst wearing a suit
and sipping G&Ts!
03/12
Royal spoonbill feeding near shipping channel heading
into Dunedin up the Otago Harbour. Stewart Is shags common
in open sea as we arrived and departed. At least one Hooker's
sealion on Pipikaretu Beach on the Otago Peninsula.
04/12
Two Arctic skua in Akaroa Harbour.
07/12
Rounding Cape Palliser and heading north along the Wairarapa coast a good
selection of birds. Royal alb sp 1, wandering
alb (prob Gibson's) 1, white-capped alb 5, Salvin's
alb 1-3, CHATHAM ALB 1 with another possible
imm bird, grey-faced petrel 5-10, Westland petrel
1, Buller's shear 5-10, fluttering shear
10+ (alas no Manx!), and a small pod of dolphins distant, probably bottle-nosed.
08/12
INTERMEDIATE EGRET seen roosting right beside road near
the Ngaruroro River mouth near Napier.
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