This in from Matt Jones who is a few days into the first 21-day birding tour of the season…
“DAY 1 A wet start to the tour, looking at NZ Pipits in the rain showers, other highlights a pair of Fairy tern’s mating in front of us! Pair of Aussie Little grebes. And that night finding a male NI Brown Kiwi…Not a bad one!!
Day 2 After coffee in Kerikeri back south to Waipu area for great looks at NZ Dotterels, then on to find Takahe, NI Saddleback, Whitehead and two Shining Cuckoos…
DAY 3 First pelagic of the tour produced 5 NZ Stormies, 1 Grey-faced Petrel, and our first Albatross was a White-capped. Plus a huge supporting cast, with White-faced Stormies, Fairy Prion, Cook’s Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Buller’s Shearwater, Black Petrel, Common Diving Petrel and Fluttering shearwater… A very windy rough day, but it brought us a seabird feast!!
DAY 4 Onto Tri Tri tomorrow can’t wait….”
Looks like an excellent start to the season!