After the excitement of the Kaikoura pelagic : with giant albatrosses at arm’s length, the next few days can seem a little mundane…. That is if carnivorous alpine parrots, and kiwi at about 1m range don’t excite you!!!!
Sure, the number of new birds each day is getting lower, but we are reviewing some old friends and really getting to know them – NZ Scaup, Aussie Shoveler, Paradise Shelduck, Weka, NZ Pigeons galore, Tomtit, Rifleman, Brown Creeper.
And then those special moments with special birds :
Kea near Arthurs Pass. Who can deny the star quality of these magnificent creatures when they jump on cars and vans with only mischief in their eyes!
Okarito Brown Kiwi. Hold your breath, the rarest of the kiwis is 2 meters away, you can’t see it yet because of the vegetation , but the good news is that it isn’t even dark yet! A moment later a bill appears……..then the head…..and then the whole bird…..at our feet!! No need for a torch. Great work by my team, but hats off to Mike from Okarito Kiwi Tours.
14 days done and a trip list of exactly 140. Can’t be all that bad, though I don’t see us catching the excellent tally of Phil Hammond……