VIEWS FROM THE ROAD, PICTON TO HANMER SPRINGS VIA INLAND HIGHWAY, NEW ZEALAND

WEKA DOING SOMETHING?, BLUMINE/ORUAWAIRUA ISLAND, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND

   We don't really know what these Weka are doing.  Are they fighting, performing a mating ritual or something else?

MALHERBE'S PARAKEET OR NEW ZEALAND'S ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEET, BLUMINE/ORUAWAIRUA ISLAND, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND

   We can ID this parrot as a Malherbe's Parakeet or New Zealand's Orange-fronted Parakeet by its predominantly bright green body (with bluish tint), distinctive orange frontal band (this distinguishes it from the very similar Yellow-crowned Parakeet) on its yellow crown and silver-grey bill with dark tip.

   This parakeet is endemic to New Zealand, where it is restricted to a few valleys on the South Island and four offshore islands.  In New Zealand it is called the Orange-fronted Parakeet; in the rest of the world it is known as Malherbe's Parakeet.   It should not be confused  with the simarily named, but different species, the Orange-fronted Parakeet of Central America.

   Malherbe's Parakeet is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 747.

PIED CORMORANT (PIED SHAG) IN WATER, BLUMINE/ ORUAWAIRUA ISLAND, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND

WEKA, BLUMINE/ORUAWAIRUA ISLAND, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND

   We can ID this rail as the Western Weka subspecies of the Weka by its overall brown color mottled with black and grey, red eyes (if you look closely at the first photo you can see the red), strong pointed bill, greyish chin and throat and sturdy reddish legs.

   The Weka is a flightless bird endemic to New Zealand and is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 746.

E-KO TOURS BOAT & VIEWS FROM IT, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, NEW ZEALAND

   The E-Ko Tours boat took the Road Scholar birding tour on a pelagic birding trip to Queen Chatlotte Sound and then onto Blumine/Oruawairua Island for birding.

FLUTTERING SHEARWATERS, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

   We can ID this bird as a Fluttering Shearwater by its dark cap that extends below the eye in a smudgy line; dark grey-brown upperparts extending to form a partial collar;  short grey-brown tail; white underparts that extend from the chin to the undertail and long, pale and slender bill with distinct hooked tip.

   The Fluttering Shearwater is endemic to New Zealand and migrates to Australia and the Solomon Islands. 

   The Fluttering Shearwater is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 745.