Monday, December 4, 2017
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.
Sunday, December 3, 2017
NEW ZEALAND KING SHAG, QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
We can ID this shag as a New Zealand King Shag (also known as Rough-faced Shag or King Shag) by its black head, nape, upperparts and tail; white wing bars; white underparts; black thighs; pink legs and blue eye-rings. The New Zealand King Shags with yellow-orange swellings (caruncles) above the base of the bill are breeding adults.
The New Zealand King Shag is endemic to New Zealand, only occurring in the Marlborough Sounds (of which Queen Chatlotte Sound is one).
The New Zealand King Shag is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 744.
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