Monday, November 27, 2017
SOUTH ISLAND PIED OYSTERCATCHER, THAMES, NEW ZEALAND
We can ID this oystercatcher as a South Island Pied Oystercatcher by its striking black and white plumage, long red-orange bill and red legs. The white notch in front of the folded wings distinguishes the South Island Pied Oystercatcher from the Pied morph of the Variable Oystercatcher.
The South Island Pied Oystercatcher is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 733.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
NONBREEDIND BAR-TAILED GODWIT, MIRANDA SHOREBIRD CENTRE, POKENO, NEW ZEALAND
We can ID this shorebird as a nonbreeding Bar-tailed Godwit by its slightly upturned bi-colored bill, pink at the base and black towards the tip; mottled grey upperparts; off-white underparts and barred white tail.
The Bar-tailed Godwit breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World and Alaska, and winters on coasts in the temperate and tropical regions of the Old World and of Australia and New Zealand. It's migration includes the longest non-stop flight of any bird (7,258 miles) and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal.
The last photo is of a map showing the migration route of the Bar-tailed Godwit from Alaska to New Zealand. On the migration back to Alaska the godwit stops in the area of the Yellow Sea.
A good book on the migration of this godwit is "Godwit" by Keith Woodley, a godwit expert and manager of the Miranda Shorebird Centre.
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 732.
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