Ulva Island 15Jun19

From KH

The endemic NZ Kaka pecking away.

The noisy endemic Red-crowned Parakeet.

NZ Pigeon - another endemic.

Unlikely companions, the endemic Stewart Island Robin and South Island Saddleback, feeding together.

A super friendly Stewart Island Weka!

Tui - a common endemic.

Finally, a couple of White-capped and Buller's Albatrosses in comparison.

Bird list for a short 2-hour walk

1. New Zealand Pigeon 10
2. Weka 5
3. Variable Oystercatcher 4
4. Silver Gull (Red-billed) 5
5. Kelp Gull 1
6. Buller's Albatross 2
7. White-capped Albatross 2
8. Great Cormorant 1
9. Pied Cormorant 1
10. New Zealand Kaka 8
11. Red-crowned Parakeet 8
12. Tui 9
13. New Zealand Bellbird 10
14. New Zealand Fantail 1
15. South Island Saddleback 3
16. South Island Robin 5
17. Silvereye 10
18. Eurasian Blackbird 1

Boulder Beach on Ulva Island

Stewart Island 15Jun19 am

From KH

Foveaux Strait

Birds seen in the strait

1. Silver Gull (Red-billed) 10
2. Kelp Gull 5
3. White-fronted Tern 10
4. Buller's Albatross 8
5. White-capped Albatross 2
6. Stewart Island Shag 5
7. Swamp Harrier 1

Swamp Harrier over Foveaux Strait.

White-capped and Buller's Albatrosses are common in the strait.

Buller's Albatross

White-capped Albatross

Birds seen in Oban, Stewart Island

1. Paradise Shelduck 2
2. Variable Oystercatcher 3
3. Silver Gull (Red-billed) 10
4. Kelp Gull 2
5. Buller's Albatross 1
6. Spotted Shag 1
7. Stewart Island Shag 1
8. Sacred Kingfisher 1
9. Tui 5
10. New Zealand Bellbird 5
11. New Zealand Fantail 5
12. Silvereye 8
13. European Starling 10
14. Eurasian Blackbird 2
15. Dunnock 2
16. House Sparrow

Red-billed and Kelp Gulls are also common here.

Red-billed Gull

Kelp Gull with pied morph Stewart Island Shags

Stewart Island Shags come in two morphs - pied and bronze.

Bronze morph Steward Island Shag

Spotted Shag and Pied Cormorant seem less common here.

Spotted Shag

Pied Cormorant

Variable Oystercatchers also come with different morphs. Here's a pair of the black morph.

Paradise Shelducks - female with white head, male black.

A couple of endemics: Tui and NZ Bellbird.

And a couple of introduced species: European Starling and Eurasian Blackbird.