Sparrow flanked by waxeyes at the feeder. This is one bird that surely everyone know — Tiu | House sparrow: Length: 15 cm; Weight: 28 g Similar species: Dunnock, Chaffinch | Pahirini, European greenfinch A small songbird species in which breeding adult males have chestnut-brown, white and grey plumage with a distinctive black bib, grey underparts, variegated brown and white backs and wings, a robust black conical bill, dark brown eyes and dull pink legs.
This bird was found in distress on the beach in May 2018. a Tītī wainui | Fairy prion: Length: 25 cm; Weight: 120 g Similar species: Fulmar prion A small prion, blue-grey above and white below, with a blackish ‘M’ across the back from wingtip to wingtip, a black tip to the upper tail, and blue bill, legs and feet. In the hand, it has a relatively chunky bill lacking comb-like lamellae along the margins of the upper mandible, and a broader black tip to the upper tail and more ill-defined facial markings than the other prion species.
Such a common bird, the Makipai | Australian Magpie: Length: 41 cm; Weight: 350 g Similar species: Magpie-lark A large black-and-white songbird in which the adult male has a white hind-neck, rump and shoulder patches, upper tail and under-tail coverts. The female is similar, but the mantle may be grey, and the black parts of the plumage are less iridescent; both sexes have a blue-grey bill with a dark tip, and red eyes.
Penguin on the beach. In April 2021 John Hewitson, Chair of the Waikawa Beach Ratepayers Association, was walking along the beach north of the river when he spotted a suspicious looking black lump on the sand. A closer look revealed a penguin totally entangled in black fishing net, unable to swim or feed. Kororā | Little penguin: Length: 33 cm; Weight: 1 kg Similar species: Fiordland crested penguin | Tawaki A small, stocky, dark blue and white penguin with a long, robust, dark hooked bill, blue-grey eyes, relatively short flipper-like wings, and pinkish-white legs and feet.
Mallard ducks on left and grey duck on the right. When you look closely at the Strathnaver lakes, Waimarie and Te Puna a te Ora, you discover that not all the birds splashing around there are Mallards. A close look at some of my photos revealed Pārera | Grey duck (maybe hybrid) as well: Length: 50 - 60 cm; Weight: 900 - 1200 g Similar species: Mallard | Rakiraki A large darkish brown duck with a grey bill, khaki legs, dark brown eyes, and pale buff-edged body feathers.
We have two kinds of Oystercatcher at Waikawa Beach. The Variable and the Tōrea | South Island pied oystercatcher whose conservation status is Declining: Length: 46 cm; Weight: 550 g Similar species: Variable oystercatcher | Tōrea pango, Chatham Island oystercatcher | Tōrea tai A large solidly-built black-and-white wader with a long straight bright orange bill and stout pink legs. The sharply delineated border on the lower breast between the black upperparts and white underparts is diagnostic.
The Spur-winged plover is a fairly common sight around the beach, the Strathnaver lakes, Waimarie and Te Puna a te Ora, and in paddocks: Length: 38 cm; Weight: 350 - 370 g A large stocky wader with yellow bill, facial wattles, eye rings and 'spurs' at the carpal joints of each wing, black on the crown and hind neck extending to the breast, and long reddish-brown legs. The rest of the head, neck and under parts are white, the mantle, back and coverts are uniform light grey-brown contrasting with a white rump, and the black tail has a white base and thin white tip.
Down in the estuary recently was a seemingly lone Tarāpuka | Black-billed gull just standing around in the shallow water. It's extremely similar to the Tarapunga, Red-billed gull: The black-billed gull is more slender than the red-billed gull, with a longer bill. Tarāpuka | Black-billed gull: Length: 35 - 38 cm; Weight: 230 g Similar species: Red-billed Gull | Tarāpunga A medium-sized white gull with pale grey wings and back, white-tipped black margins to the main flight feathers, white iris, red eye-ring, black legs and a relatively long straight black bill.
This little Tīrairaka | New Zealand fantail (Pīwakawaka) was flitting about down by lake Te Puna a te Ora (The Wellspring of Good Health) at the corner of Strathnaver Drive and Reay Mackay Grove. Length: 16 cm; Weight: 8 g Similar species: Willie wagtail A small songbird with greyish head, white eyebrows, brown back and rump, cinnamon breast and belly, white and black bands across the upper breast, and a long black and white tail.
In winter we put out a bird feeder and the Tauhou | Waxeye love it. They're total tiny clowns with a goofy look. Length: 12 cm; Weight: 13 g Similar species: Bellbird | Korimako A small songbird with olive-green upperparts, grey hindneck, neck-sides and upper back, dark olive green tail, whitish-cream underparts on the throat and upper breast, creamy grey on the belly and undertail, pinkish-buff flanks, white thighs, and creamy-white on the underside of the wings.
Sometimes we see flocks of Tara | White-fronted tern, like in this photo from 07 May 2022, down by the Waiorongomai Stream. Length: 42 cm; Weight: 160 g Similar species: Common tern, Arctic tern A medium-sized tern, pale grey above and white below, with a long white forked-tail, a black cap separated from the long pointed black bill by a white band, and a narrow dark band on the outer edge of the first primary.
When I drive along Waikawa Beach Road I sometimes wonder about those who were there before us. In particular, the blue tsunami line near Takapu Road makes me think of how moa were roaming this area thousands of years ago. Long before Europeans arrived at Waikawa Beach there were thriving settlements of Māori, and before them, probably of Moa Hunters. We speculate about the Moa Hunters because of moa bones found in this area.
As usual, I thought I was watching Dotterels. But as I took photo after photo I came to realise the three birds were in fact Ngutuparore | Wrybill. That curved beak is so distinctive, and they’re more grey and less brown on top.
I think there were 2 adults and a young one.
They were fearless. I sat on the sand and they busied themselves nearby looking for food.
The other morning on the beach by Waiorongomai Stream I spotted a group of Kuaka Godwit doing their thing then realised one bird looked quite different. I believe this is a Ruddy turnstone — I haven’t spotted them around here before.
Identification
Length: 21 - 24 cm; Weight: 84 - 190 g; Similar species: Shore plover | Tuturuatu
A medium-sized stocky wading bird with a short dark bill with slightly upturned tip, short neck and short orange-red legs.
Very small baby bird sitting on beach. Photo by Corne Ferreira and used with permission. These baby birds are so hard to see they’re at huge risk of being trampled, run over or grabbed by a dog.
Back in early November 2022 I almost stepped on a Poaka Pied Stilt nest not far from the blue pole that marks where the North Track off Reay Mackay Grove exits onto the beach.
Photo by Daniel Anderson. I’ve never yet seen a Pīpīwharauroa, Shining cuckoo but have recently heard one near the lakes in Strathnaver. I’m keeping my eyes peeled.
These birds have the most annoying call. Visit the link above and listen to the sound files. They do a sort of ‘pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee pee wheeeew’.
Voice: the main call is a loud upwardly-slurred whistle repeated several times; the sequence usually ends with a downwardly-slurred whistle.
In August 2022 Marion Cherry posted a photo on Facebook that showed clearly the size difference between a Little black shag | Kawau tūī and a Pied shag | Kāruhiruhi.
The Little Black Shag’s size is: ‘Length: 61 cm; Weight: 800 grams’, while the Pied Shag comes in at: ‘Length: 65 - 85 cm; Weight: 1.3 - 2.1 kg’.
Little Black Shag and Pied Shag at the river. Photo by Marion Cherry and used with permission.
Bittern crossing Strathnaver Drive in February 2023. Photo by Photo by Miraz Jordan. A local resident told me recently she’d spotted a Bittern on one Strathnaver wetland, one of 3 areas in Strathnaver where the very rare Bitterns are known to breed locally.
Update, 07 February 2023, a Bittern expert who visited recently advised that at least one of the areas doesn’t have the right kind of foliage for breeding.
Kereru on a flax spear. Photo by Miraz Jordan. First time ever I’ve seen a Kererū at Waikawa Beach. They do live in Manakau 4 Km away (as the bird flies) but have never been down here before as far as I know.
Length: 50 cm; Weight: 630 g
Kereru looks towards the camera. Photo by Miraz Jordan. Kereru on flax. Photo by Miraz Jordan.
The dunnock is the one on the left and the house sparrow on the right One of the emails I received from The NZ Garden Bird Survey team around the time of the 2022 Survey had handy info about Dunnocks and Sparrows: We’re not sure if this is happening with your whanāu, but we’ve noticed ours have definitely caught the birdwatching bug and they haven’t stopped looking for birds!
25 June to 03 July 2022 is the week for the Garden Bird Survey.
Why do we do the survey in winter? Aren’t birds less likely to be seen? And besides which, it’s freezing! Birds are active all year round, but in winter, when wild food is more scarce, they will tend to come into gardens to feed. This means that we get a better picture of what birds are present in your local environment.
Back on the 4th of May 2022 I spotted 'our' two black swans on the lake at the end of the road. They had 4 cygnets with them.
I didn't see them again until today (23 May), and it seems they've lost one of the small flock.
Game bird hunting season starts on Saturday 07 May 2022 and runs through to 03 July 2022. You may hear gun shots on the morning of Saturday 07 May, starting at dawn. Make sure any animals that may react to gunshot noises are secure. Check with your vet beforehand if you have animals that are specially anxious with such noises. See Game Bird Season Information - Fish & Game NZ.
You may have noticed shags ‘sunbathing’ at the beach with their wings spread out. [Shags] are often seen sitting on a perch with their wings spread out, drying their feathers. This is because a shag’s feathers are not waterproof, making it easier for them to dive and stay underwater for an average of 20 to 30 seconds per dive. But it also means the birds quickly get waterlogged and cold.