Winter Birding trip to New Zealand From June 26th until September 10th 2016 Nils Bouillard

In order to make this report printer-friendly, I have included all the pictures in Appendix II at the end of this report.

Contents

o Introduction

o Itinerary

o Annotated checklists

o Practical Tips

o Acknowledgments

o Appendixes

o I: GPS locations (with clickable links to Google Maps)

o II: Pictures

o III: References

o Contact Information

Introduction

This report is written after an 11-week trip to New Zealand. During the five

weeks, I was attending IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

preparation courses at the New Zealand Language Centre (Auckland, highly

recommended for this kind of courses). For this reason, I could only go outdoors

on weekends (hence the scattered dates in the itinerary below). I thus went for

small trips in and around Auckland. For the remaining 6 weeks, I did a round

trip around the South Island with a rental car.

Of course, this wasn't only a birding trip. I wanted to make a photography

project about Ferns so I kept an eye out for those. But even apart from nature,

I looked for The Lord of the Rings filming locations (the NZ Handy Atlas pin-

points them on the maps, very handy indeed) and unforgettable experiences.

Among them, I could mention: the Milford Sound Cruise, my skydive in Paradise

(outstanding views of the staggering surrounding landscapes), whale-watching

flight and the pelagic trip of Kaikoura with close encounters with Albatrosses

This trip consisted of a few firsts for me (first trip on my own, furthest away

from home, longest away from home, first trip organised from "scratch",...)

making it one of the best trip of my life (even though it has only started...).

Naturalistic highlights:

ü Daytime Kiwi sighting on Ulva

ü All the other Kiwi sightings

ü Pelagic trips

ü Yellow-eyed Penguins at the Penguin Place

ü Fur seal pups at the Ohau streams

Itinerary 26-06: Arrival in New Zealand

02-07: Tiritiri Matangi

Bird sanctuary Island: Native bush

09-07: Auckland

Walk in the Tahuna Torea Nature Reserve

10-07: Mangere / Miranda

Mangere Sewage ponds and Miranda (coastal site)

17-07: Shakespeare National Park

Native bush, marshy area and coastal site

23-07: Tiritiri Matangi

24-07: Tawharanui

Native Bush

31-07: Motutapu

Pest-free Island

03-08: Arrival in Christchurch

04-08: Arthur's Pass

Hawdon Valley and streams around the Pass

05-08: Arthur's Pass and driving to Kaikoura

Hawdon Valley

06-08: Kaikoura

Ohau stream and Kaikoura peninsula

07-08: Kaikoura

Pelagic trip and St.Annes Lagoon

08-08: Mackensie Basin

Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki, Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier

09-08: Mackensie Basin: / Oamaru

Lake Ohau and Benmore

10-08: Driving to Dunedin

Moeraki Boulders and peninsula

11-08: Otago peninsula

Taiaroa head (guided tour at the Albatross colony), Hoopers inlet, The Penguin Place

12-08: Ferry to Stewart Island and Kiwi spotting

Southern Scenic route and Foveaux Strait

13-08: Rest

14-08: Ulva Island and Kiwi spotting

Bird sanctuary Island: Native bush and Oban (see Annex I)

15-08: Rest

16-08: Horseshoe Bay and Kiwi spotting

17-08: Ulva Island

18-08: Acker's Point and Kiwi spotting

19-08: Pelagic trip

Pelagic Trip East of Halmoon Bay

20-08: Ferry to Bluff and driving to Te Anau

Clifden Caves, Rakatu Wetlands and Waiau River

21-08: Milford Sound

Sound cruise, Milford Road and Eglinton Valley

22-08: Driving to Queenstown

Dead Marshes (Manapouri) and The Devil's Staircase

23-08: Glenorchy and Paradise

24-08: Queenstown and Lord of the Rings locations

Ford of Bruinen and Kawarau River

25-08: Skydiving and driving to Haast

26-08: Jackson Bay and Moeraki beach

Native Bush and Coast

27-08: Franz Josef and Kiwi spotting in Okarito

Roberts Point Track

28-08: Okarito lagoon and National Park

29-08: Driving to Arthur's Pass and Kiwi spotting

Kawihaka Creek

30-08: Driving to Punakaiki

Blowing holes and Bullock's Creek

31-08: Walking in Westland National Park

Walk in Bullock's Creek and Petrel Watching

01-09: Driving to Murchison

02-09: Nelson / Golden Bay

Tic toc road, Tasman sandspit, Playhouse cafe

03-09: Malborough Sounds and Blumine

Cruise into the sounds and a 3h walk on Blumine

04-09: Tasman

Estuaries north of the Tasman National Park

05-09: Driving to Christchurch

Kaikoura and Ashley Estuary

06-09: Flight to Auckland

Greenspark spit (Chrischurch), Muriwai Gannet colony and Kaipara head

07-09: Miranda

08-09: Driving to Tongariro

Whakapapa stream and Tokaanu wharf

09-09 Driving to Auckland

Tokaanu and Taupo

10-09: Flight back to Belgium

Mangere Sewage Ponds and tidal flats

Checklists (introduced species are marked with a °)

Birds - 131 species (106 native of which 49 endemics)

1. North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli: Two sightings in Tawharanui

2. Southern Tokoeka, Stewart Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx australis lawryi: Regular sightings in Oban and one daytime sighting on Ulva

3. Okarito Brown, Rowi, Apteryx rowi: One on the road to Okarito

4. Great Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx haastii: Heard in Arthur's Pass, both nights.

5. °California quail, Callipepla californica: Nelson

6. °Tufted guineafowl, Numida meleagris: Auckland while driving to Kaipara

7. °Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophora: Tiritiri Matangi and Tawharanui

8. °Common Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus: Auckland rural area

9. °Peafowl, Pavo cristatus: Auckland rural area

10. °Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo: Auckland rural area

11. Black swan, Cygnus atratus: Widespread

12. °Canada goose, Branta canadensis: Large artificial water bodies

13. Paradise Shelduck, Tadorna variegata: Widespread

14. Whio, Blue duck, Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos: Kawihaka Creek and Wharagunui stream

15. Grey Teal, Anas gracilis: Quite common on lakes

16. Brown Teal, Anas chlorotis: Tiritiri Matangi and Tawharanui

17. °Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos: Widespread

18. Grey Duck, Anas superciliosa1: Mangere, Milford Sound, various lakes

19. Australasian Shoveler, Anas rhynchotis: Widespread

20. New Zealand Scaup, Aythya novaeseelandiae: Widespread on the South Island

21. Great crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus: Highlands lakes (Mackensie Basin)

22. New Zealand dabchick, Poliocephalus rufopectus: Water bodies around Auckland

23. Australasian little grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae: Auckland (Okeha)

24. Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes: Otago Peninsula and Oamarau

25. Little blue penguin, Eudyptula minor: Tiri, Oamaru and at sea

26. Fiordland crested penguin, Eudyptes pachyrhynchus: Moeraki peninsula

27. Wandering Albatross, Diomedea exulans: Kaikoura pelagic 1BirdsshowingpurephenotypesandwithnoMallardsaroundhavebeenidentifiedas"pure"birdsregardlessofsomegeneticassumptions.

28. Southern Royal Albatross, Diomedea epomophora: Kaikoura pelagic

29. Northern Royal Albatross, Diomedea sanfordi: Kaikoura pelagic and Taiaroa head

30. Grey-headed Albatross, Thalassarche chrysostoma: Stewart Island pelagic

31. Buller’s Albatross, Thalassarche bulleri: Stewart Island pelagic and Foveaux Strait

32. Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris: Kaikoura pelagic

33. New Zealand White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche cauta steadi: Kaikoura pelagic, Stewart Island pelagic

34. Salvin's Albatross, Thalassarche salvini: Kaikoura pelagic

35. Northern giant petrel, Macronectes halli: Kaikoura pelagic, Malborough Sounds

36. Cape Petrel, Daption capense

• Cape Petrel, Daption capense capense: Kaikoura pelagic, Stewart Island pelagic, Foveaux Strait

• Snares Cape Petrel, Daption capense australe: A couple on Kaikoura pelagic

37. Grey-faced petrel, Pterodroma gouldi: Seawatching in Tawharanui and Kaikoura pelagic

38. Fairy prion, Pachyptila turtur: Kaikoura pelagic and one dead on Tawharanui beach

39. Westland petrel, Procellaria westlandica: Punakaiki

40. Grey petrel, Procellaria cinerea: Kaikoura pelagic

41. Fluttering shearwater, Puffinus gavia: Common along the coast

42. Hutton’s shearwater, Puffinus huttoni: Huge numbers off Kaikoura in September

43. Common diving petrel, Pelecanoides urinatrix: Ferry to Tiri, Kaikoura pelagic, Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island pelagic

44. South Georgia Diving Petrel2, Pelecanoides georgicus: Stewart Island pelagic

45. Australasian gannet, Morus serrator: Common along the coast

46. Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos: Widespread

47. Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae: Relatively Widespread (I overlooked it, being so familiar with the species...)

48. Pied Shag, Phalacrocorax varius varius: Widespread

49. Little Black Shag, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris: Mangere and Stewart Island

50. King Shag, Leucocarbo carunculatus: Malborough sounds (Blumine and West Head) (with E-ko tours)

51. Stewart Island Shag, Leucocarbo stewarti: Islet off Stewart Island

52. Otago Shag3, Leucocarbo chalconotus: Taiaroa head (Otago Peninsula)

53. Spotted Shag, Stictocarbo punctatus

• Stictocarbo punctatus punctatus: Widespread, huge numbers off

• Blue Shag, Stictocarbo punctatus oliveri: Stewart Island

54. White-faced heron, Egretta novaehollandiae: Widespread

55. Reef heron, Egretta sacra: Tawharanui and Tarakoe

56. Great white heron, Ardea alba: Okarito lagoon and Miranda

57. Royal spoonbill, Platalea regia: Widespread

58. Australasian harrier, Circus approximans: Widespread

59. New Zealand falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae: Hawdon Valley and Haast

60. Buff-banded rail, Gallirallus philippensis mellori: Tawharanui, Motutapu, Shakespeare NP, Sandspit

61. Weka, Gallirallus australis 2Diving-petrelwithapurewhiteunderwing,supposedlyfromtheCodfishIs.breedingcolony3Recentsplit(Rawlence,N.etal2016)

• Western Weka, Gallirallus australis australis: SH6 North of Hokitika, Blumine, Nelson (city centre)

• Stewart Island Weka, Gallirallus australis scotti: Ulva Island

62. Spotless crake, Porzana tabuensis: Tawharanui

63. Marsh crake, Porzana pusilla affinis: Nelson (Boulder Bank)

64. Pukeko, Porphyrio melanotus: Widespread

65. Takahe, Porphyrio hochstetteri: Tiritiri Matangi, Tawharanui

66. Australian coot, Fulica atra australis: Auckland,

67. Red knot, Calidris canutus: Miranda, Mangere

68. Great knot, Calidris tenuirostris: Miranda

69. Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus: Motueka Spit

70. Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica: Miranda, Mangere, Nelson area

71. Turnstone, Arenaria interpres: Motueka spit

72. Variable Oystercatcher, Haematopus unicolor: Widespread

73. South Island Pied Oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi: Widespread

74. Pied Stilt, Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus: Fairly widespread

75. Kaki, Black Stilt, Himantopus novaezelandiae: Benmore Lake and Ashley Estuary (and hybrids with Pied Stilt have been seen at Miranda and the Tahuna Torea Nature Reserve)

76. New Zealand Dotterel, Charadrius obscurus: Miranda, Mangere, Tawharanui

77. Banded Dotterel, Charadrius bicinctus: Widespread on coastal sites, Paradise (Glenorchy)

78. Wrybill, Anarhynchus frontalis: Miranda, Mangere, Ashley Estuary

79. Black-fronted dotterel, Elseyornis melanops: St.Annes Lagoon

80. Spur-winged Plover, Vanellus miles novaehollandiae: Widespread

81. Brown skua, Catharacta antarctica: One off Stewart Island

82. Black-backed gull, Larus dominicanus: Common

83. Red-billed gull, Larus novaehollandiae: Common

84. Black-billed gull, Larus bulleri: Miranda, large riverbeds SI, Queenstown, 2 on the beach near Orepuki

85. Caspian tern, Hydroprogne caspia: Miranda, Tawharanui, Ashley,

86. Black-fronted tern, Chlidonias albostriatus: Off Kaikoura, Waiau River, fields in Nelson

87. White-fronted tern, Sterna striata: Widespread

88. °Rock Pigeon, Columba livia: Auckland

89. °Barbary Dove, Streptopelia risoria: Mangere

90. °Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis: Auckland

91. New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae: Widespread

92. Kaka, Nestor meridionalis

• North Island Kaka, Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis: Tawharanui

• South Island Kaka, Nestor meridionalis meridionalis: Haast, Stewart Island

93. Kea, Nestor notabilis: Arthur's Pass, Milford Road

94. °Eastern rosella, Platycercus eximius: Auckland

95. Red-crowned parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae: Auckland area, Stewart Island, Tiritiri Matangi, Tawharanui, ...

96. Yellow-crowned parakeet, Cyanoramphus auriceps: Ulva Island

97. Orange-fronted parakeet, Cyanoramphus malherbi: Blumine

98. Morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae: Tiritiri (seen), easy to hear at night everywhere

99. Sacred Kingfisher, Todiramphus sanctus: Widespread

100. Rifleman, Acanthisitta chloris

• North Island Rifleman, Acanthisitta chloris granti: Tiritiri Matangi

• South Island Rifleman, Acanthisitta chloris chloris: Fairly common in native forests

101. North Island Kokako, Callaeas wilsoni: Tiritiri Matangi

102. North Island Saddleback, Philesturnus rufusater: Tiritiri, Tawharanui, Motutapu

103. South Island Saddleback, Philesturnus carunculatus: Ulva Island, Blumine

104. Stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta: Tiritiri Matangi

105. Grey warbler, Gerygone igata: Common

106. Bellbird, Anthornis melanura: Common

107. Tui, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae: Common

108. Whitehead, Mohoua albicilla: Tiritiri Matangi, Tawharanui

109. Yellowhead, Mohoua ochrocephala: Ulva Island, Blumine

110. Brown creeper, Mohoua novaeseelandiae: Ulva Island, Arthur's Pass, West Coast

111. °Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen: Common

112. New Zealand Fantail4, Rhipidura fuliginosa: Common

113. Tomtit, Petroica macrocephala: Widespread on the SI

114. North Island Robin, Petroica longipes: Tiritiri, Tawharanui

115. South Island Robin, Petroica australis: Hawdon Valley

• Stewart Island Robin, Petroica australis rakiura: Stewart Island

116. Fernbird, Bowdleria punctata: Tiritiri Matangi

117. °Skylark, Alauda arvensis: Common

4OneprobablymelanisticindividualinJacksonHead(Haastarea)

118. Zilvereye, Zosterops lateralis: Common

119. Welcome Swallow, Hirundo neoxena: Common

120. °Blackbird, Turdus merula: Common

121. °Song thrush, Turdus philomelos: Common

122. °Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris: Common in Auckland

123. °Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis: Common in Auckland

124. °House sparrow, Passer domesticus: Common in urban areas

125. New Zealand pipit, Anthus novaeseelandiae: Motutapu, Oban (Stewart Island), Hawdon Valley

126. °Dunnock, Prunella modularis: Common on the SI

127. °Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs: Common

128. °European Greenfinch, Carduelis chloris: Auckland

129. °European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis: Common in Auckland

130. °Common Redpoll, Carduelis flammea: Common on foothills on the SI

131. °Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella: Common in lowlands

Insects - 6 species

1. Monarch, Danaus plexippus: Auckland 2. Unidentified Butterfly: Punakaiki beach 3. Stinking Ground Beetle, Plocamostethus planiusculus: Punakaiki NP 4. Tree Weta, Hemideina spp: Motutapu 5. Flightless Bush Cockroach, Celatoblatta spp.: Hawdon valley 6. New Zealand Glow Worm, Arachnocampa luminosa: Te Anau Cave and

Bullock's Creek (at night)

Mammals

1. New Zealand Fur Seal, Arctocephalus forsteri: Kaikoura, Malborough Sounds, Milford Sounds, ...

2. Hooker's Sea Lion, Phocarctos hookeri: Hoopers inlet 3. Sperm Whale, Physeter macrocephalus: Kaikoura 4. Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus: Jackson Bay (from the shore) 5. °Common Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula: Widespread but

had good views in Bullock's Creek. Plenty of them dead along the roads as well.

6. °Rat, Rattus sp.: Widespread. Numerous on Stewart Island

Ferns and allies (no locations) - 43 species

Clubmoss

1. Drooping clubmoss, Lycopodium varium

Tree Ferns

1. Punui, Cyathea cunninghamii 2. Ponga, Cyathea dealbata 3. Katote, Cyathea smithii 4. Creeping Tree Fern, Cyathea colensoi 5. Mamaku, Cyathea medullaris 6. Wheki, Dicksonia squarrosa 7. Wheki Ponga, Dicksonia fibrosa

True Ferns

8. King Fern, Marattia salicina 9. Crepe Fern, Leptopteris hymenophylloides 10. Rosy Maidenhair, Adiantum hispidulum 11. Carrier Tangle, Gleichenia microphylla 12. Umbrella Fern, Sticherus cunninghamii 13. Comb Fern, Ctenopteris heterophylla 14. Common Strap Fern, Grammitis billardierei 15. Lance Fern, Anarthropteris lanceolata 16. Kowaowao, Microsorum pustulatum 17. Fragrant Fern, Microsorum scandens 18. Irirangi, Hymenophyllum demissum 19. Hymenophyllum rarum

20. Kidney Fern, Trichomanes reniforme 21. Loxsoma cunninghamii

22. Water Fern, Histiopteris incisa 23. Hypolepis spp.

24. Lace Fern, Leptolepia novae-zelandiae 25. Bracken, Pteridium esculentum 26. Hen and chickens Fern, Asplenium bulbiferum 27. Drooping Spleenwort, Asplenium flaccidum 28. Asplenium lyallii

29. Shining Spleenwort, Asplenium oblongifolium 30. Shore Spleenwort, Asplenium obtusatum 31. Petako, Asplenium polyodon 32. Climbing Shield Fern, Rumohra adiantiformis 33. Jointed Fern, Arthropteris tenella 34. Nini, Bechnum chambersii 35. Peretao, Blechnum colensoi 36. Crown Fern, Blechnum discolor 37. Coastal Hardfern, Blechnum durum 38. Climbing Hard Fern, Blechnum filiforme 39. Mountain kiokio, Blechnum montanum 40. Kiokio, Blechnum novae-zelandiae 41. Alpine Hardfern, Blechnum penna-marina alpina 42. Rasp Fern, Doodia australis

Practical Tips Accommodation

During the five first weeks, while at school in Auckland, I stayed in a homestay in Mission Bay. During my six travel weeks, I stayed in backpackers. For the sake of this report, I won't list them nor review them but you can contact me if you need any advice. As a general rule, backpackers in the cities are noisy and messy. Overall, I had no major issue with any backpackers though some were less good than others and some were really good (Hogwartz in Dunedin, Punakaiki Beach Hostel, Rawhiti House in Geraldine, ...)

Transport

Again, due the odd structure of the trip, this section is divided in two.

In Auckland, I didn't personally take care of the car rentals but the company we hired from are Rent a dent. It's good value and the service is good but the cars are not very up-to-date.

For my "real" trip, I rented from Jucy, a Toyota Yaris for 37 NZ$ a day (stress-free insurance policy). Very good value for money.

Petrol

I found out that the petrol prices vary enormously between towns/cities. I paid 1,63$ in "Hamilton" and 2,09$ in Franz Josef. Those are the extremes. But there often was a 0,15-0,20$ price difference on a few kilometres only... Therefore, I advise anyone to plan ahead and avoid fuelling up in touristic places and follow online tools to help you to save a few dollars for each tank. Some supermarkets offer discounts, as well as petrol stations such as Mobile when you buy for a certain amount.

Recommended nature tours

Due to the fact that my trip took place during the low season, I wasn't able to get on most of the interesting organised tours because the minimum number of people needed wasn't met. Despite this, I was able to find alternatives for most of the birds I needed. Albatross Encounters seem to run all year round, which is amazing and I was lucky enough to be part of a full-day trip with well-experienced birders. Habitat Tours and Okarito Kiwi Tours both couldn't run Kiwi tours for me but I managed to find them anyway thanks to Harry and Ian. That being said, you should contact the tour operators first. They might or

might not do you the same favour they did me. As for E-ko tours, I am grateful they accepted to run the tour just for Harry and I. They surely didn't make a lot of money on this trip but they ran it anyway. And we got both King Shag and Malherbe's Parakeet so I can do nothing less than highly recommend this tour operator for these two birds.

Other activities

New Zealand is not all about birds. There's plethora of breath-taking landscapes and lots of more tourist-oriented things to do. Here's a non-exhaustive list:

Must see landscapes (As far as I am concerned, the whole country is a must-see...).

ü Tongariro National Park ü Coromandel Peninsula (not visited) ü Rotorua (not visited) ü Lake Pukaki / Mount Cook / Tasman Glacier ü Lake Tekapo and Lake Alexandrina ü Lake Ohau (Fields of Pelennor in LOTR) ü Milford Sound (see below) ü Glenorchy (plenty of LOTR filming locations) ü Queenstown area (idem) ü Lake Wanaka ü Lake Manapouri ü Punakaiki

Recommended activities

ü Milford Sounds cruise: I went with Real Experience, not the cheapest but excellent service. I took the 11 am cruise, very few people, later, it gets very crowdy (especially in the summer). The comments are exactly the same no matter what cruise you're on but the on-board food was very good and very reasonably priced (I paid 10 NZ$ for a 'fancy' sandwich dressed on a plate with salad so about the same you'd pay in Auckland). In my opinion, those were 72 NZ$ very well spent.

ü Te Anau Glow-worm cave: Not really impressed by that I have to say... It is a sight from another world, indeed but frankly, those could have been LED's and there's no way you could tell the difference. I am not saying it is the case, not at all but that thought takes some of the excitement away. I have not been to Waitomo that is apparently the best location.

ü Whale watching flight in Kaikoura: I went with Wings over Kaikoura. They were honest with us, the weather conditions made the search

difficult so we had little chance to spot anything. But we did, we had a sperm whale a few minutes before the end of the flight. Seeing whales from the sky is something else than from a boat... I had seen north of 25 sperm whales before this one but this was like nothing else I had seen. Photography is not easy through the windows though.

ü Otago Museum: Beautiful collection of both cultural items and of specimens of New Zealand fauna. (I could not go to the Te Papa Museum in Wellington but that one certainly is a lot better).

Cities/Towns

ü Dunedin: one of the very few cities with a visible history in this country... I recommend you have a look there.

ü Oamaru: Funny to see Penguins running in the harbour or even in the streets of this lovely town.

ü Queenstown is interesting town, as it seems to be a mix between a party-full and a ski resort. Clearly an adrenaline-junky place.

ü Auckland is like nothing else in NZ but spending five weeks there wasn't a problem at all

ü Christchurch: a ghost city since the 2011 earthquake... I haven't spent much time there but it didn't exactly seem very appealing.

ü Fox and Franz Josef towns: those towns seem dedicated to the glaciers exploration. Everything is very expensive there since it's very touristic.

ü Te Anau, Nelson, Greymouth: nothing special to say. Average places I would say.

ü Invercargill: nothing of interest there.

Acknowledgments I am grateful to all the birders I met during my trip who gave me tips to get a few more species I might have missed otherwise and for the help provided, especially on my pelagic trip. Thank you Mike Ashbee, David Thomas, Steve Wood, Nick Allen, Russell Cannings and last but not least, Harry Boorman. I'd like to thank Ian Leach for giving me the instructions to find the Okarito Kiwi as well as Paul Keating for making our cruise in the Malbourough Sounds happen. The help provided by the DOC rangers and volunteer guides has been valuable as well and is therefore greatly appreciated.

Finally, I would like to deeply thank my parents who brought me their support, both emotionally and financially. Without them, this trip would surely not have been possible.

There's nothing much left to say about this trip except that I will come back...

Appendix I GPS coordinates Most special sightings have been reported on observado.org North Island

• Kaipara Head: 36°27'46.7"S 174°11'49.1"E• Miranda Shorebirds Site: 37°10'57.7"S 175°19'10.7"E • Muriwai Gannet Colony: 36°49'58.3"S 174°25'28.3"E

South Island o East Coast

• Greenspark Sands (Lake Ellesmere): 43°43'12.8"S 172°29'23.6"E • Ohau Stream Walk (NZ Fur Seals pups): 42°14'41.3"S 173°49'50.6"E • St.Annes Lagoon: 42°46'45.2"S 173°16'01.7"E

o West Coast

• Anduin River View Point: 45°29'44.7"S 167°40'08.5"E • Bullock's Creek: 42°05'45.5"S 171°23'42.4"E • Jackson Head Bush walk: 43°58'11.9"S 168°36'44.0"E • Kawarau River: 45°00'38.5"S 168°53'07.7"E • Mavora, New Zealand: 45°18'55.1"S 168°10'49.7"E

o Central Divide

• Hawdon Valley: 42°59'15.1"S 171°44'49.8"E o Malborough / Nelson

• Boulder Bank: 41°12'33.0"S 173°19'33.6"E • Golden Bay: 40°49'13.8"S 172°49'38.6"E • Motueka: 41°06'56.3"S 173°01'53.4"E • Pelorus Bridge: 41°17'56.5"S 173°34'18.6"E • Playhouse Cafe and Theatre Restaurant: 41°16'46.7"S 173°04'36.0"E • Sinclair Wetlands Education Centre: 45°59'05.2"S 170°04'42.2"E • Tik tok road: 41°16'04.6"S 173°06'39.0"E

Kiwi: Oban Southern Tokoeka territory: 46°53'37.2"S 168°07'31.4"E Okarito Kiwi: along the road at 43°14'59.0"S 170°12'23.8"E (contact Okarito Kiwi Tours for better views in the area) Great Spotted Kiwi: 42°56'07.1"S 171°33'38.3"E Northern Brown Kiwi: no precise location given (contact Habitat Tours) Other birds: Blue Duck dam (West Coast): 42°45'19.7"S 171°13'29.2"E Blue Duck (Tongariro): 39°12'21.7"S 175°32'29.2"E Black Stilt (Lake Benmore): 44°30'36.4"S 170°03'39.1"E

Locations not visited but recommended for the few missed species:

North Island • Pakiri Beach (Fairy Tern): 36°14'46.1"S 174°43'30.3"E • Little Spotted Kiwi: Tiritiri Matangi, Zealandia, Kapiti Island • Blue Duck (Turangi): 39°01'03.0"S 175°48'44.0"E • Australasian Bittern: 38°57'23.3"S 175°45'47.4"E South Island • Rock Wren (not accessible in winter): 42°53'51.2"S 171°33'04.5"E

Appendix II Pictures Captions:

I. Kea - Milford Road II. Waterfall - Milford Sound (Cruise with Real Experience) III. Franz Josef Glacier - Robert's Point (Franz Josef) IV. Rainforest - Jackson Head (Haast) V. Kaka - Ulva Island VI. King Shag - Malborough Sounds (many thanks to E-ko tours) VII. Rifleman - Hawdon Valley VIII. Tasman Glacier IX. New Zealand Dotterel - Tawharanui Beach X. Australasian Gannet - Muriwai XI. New Zealand Fur Seal pup - Kaikoura XII. Southern Tokoeka (Southern Brown Kiwi) - Ulva Island XIII. Whio (Blue Duck) - Kawihaka Creek XIV. Sacred Kingfisher - Tahuna Torea Nature Reserve XV. Grey-faced Petrel - Kaikoura (Thanks to Albatross encounters) XVI. Yellow-Eyed Penguin - The Penguin Place (Otago Peninsula)

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Appendix III References Field guides

• Field Guide to the Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the World, D. Onley and P. Scofield, Helm Field Guides 2007

• A Photographic guide to the Ferns of New Zealand, L. Metcalf, New Holland 2003

• Bateman Field Guide to Wild New Zealand, J. Fitter, Bateman 2010 Papers

• Michelsen-Heath, S; Gaze, P. 2007. Changes in abundance and distribution of the rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) in the South Island, New Zealand. Notornis 54(2): 71-78.

• Rawlence N., Scofield P., Spencer H., 2016. Genetic and morphological evidence for two species of Leucocarbo shag (Aves, Pelecaniformes, Phalacrocoracidae) from southern South Island of New Zealand. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177(3)

• Herbert, J; Daugherty, C.H. 1994: Genetic variation, systematics and management of kiwi (Apteryx spp). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand (unpublished). 34 p.

• Williams M., Gummer H., Powlesland R., Robertson H., and Taylor G. 2006: Migrations and movements of birds to New Zealand and surrounding seas. Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand 31 p.

• Schuckard, R.; Melville, D.S.; Taylor, G. 2015. Population and breeding census of New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo

carunculatus) in 2015. Notornis 62 (4): 209-218. • Allen N., Birds of the South Island, Personal musings, unpublished.

Contact information If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact me at nils.bouillard@gmail.com (in English, Dutch or French). You will find many more pictures on Facebook.