PARADISE SHELDUCKS, ASHLEY-RAKAHURI RIVER, NORTH CANTERBURY, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

WRYBILL, ASHLEY-RAKAHURI RIVER, NORTH CANTERBURY, SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

   Even though this photo was taken at a distance and thus you can't see some details, we can ID this plover as a Wrybill by its small size; long bill (other small plovers in New Zealand have short bills); white throat and underparts, with a black band across breast; grey crown, nape and upperparts and white forehead  (if you look closely you can see this in the first photo).

   The distinguishing feature which can't be seen in these photos because of the pure profiles of the bird, is the curve of the bill to the right.  The Wrybill is the only species of bird with an asymmetrically-turned bill.

   The Wrybill is endemic to New Zealand and is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 748.

FROM THE ROAD: RAINBOW, SNOWY MOUNTAINS & FROG ROCK, HANMER SPRINGS TO RANGIORA, NEW ZEALAND

   The last photo taken through the window of the bus is Frog Rock at Weka Pass.  It kind of looks like a frog?

WYE RIVER, A BRAIDED RIVER, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND

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.