VIEWS AT WAITAKERE RANGES REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

WHITE-FRONTED TERNS, MURIWAI REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS IN FLIGHT, MURIWAI REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET COLONY, MURIWAI REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, 10/27/2017

   We can ID this bird as an Australasian Gannet by its large size, creamy gold head, mostly white plumage, black primaries and secondaries, dark patch around eyes, slate grey legs and bluish-grey bill.

   About 1,200 pairs of garnets nest at Muriwai from August to March each year.  Each pair lays one egg and the parents take turns on the nest.  Once airborne the young gannets cross the Tasman Sea to Australia.  A few years later, surviving birds return to secure a nest in the colony. 

   The Australasian Gannet is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 727.

AFRICAN COLLARED DOVE, MURIWAI REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

   We can ID this dove as a African Collared Dove by its overall whitish color in the light photographed, narrow black partial collar on back of neck, short bill, dark red iris and light grey orbital ring (you can see these colors if you look closely at the photos) and red feet.  The African Collared Dove is an introduced species to New Zealand.

   The African Collared Dove is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 726.

SONG THRUSH, MURIWAI REGIONAL PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

VARIABLE OYSTERCATCHER, TIRITIRI MATANGI ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

   We can ID this oystercatcher as a Variable Oystercatcher by its all black color, bright red-orange bill, pink legs and red eye-ring.   It is called "variable" because the front plumage varies from pied to mottled to all black. The Variable Oystercatcher is endemic to New Zealand. 

   The Variable Oystercatcher is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 725.