Life has been busy for us as we moved up to the seabird coast for a new beginning. This has meant a lot of change and a lot of adjusting. However we now live a five minute walk from the shore and have some amazing views.
The coast line here is a hot spot for migratory shorebirds especially the Kuaka (Bar tailed Godwits). The Kuaka are these absolutely amazing migratory birds that can travel alllllll the way from Alaska to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in one flight. Thats around 11000 kms non-stop!!!!! Some of the individuals that make that journey can be juveniles fresh out from the previous breeding season in Alaska.
These birds can be safely spotted at places like the Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre. I've had the pleasure of visiting Miranda multiple times now and each time its been a different view.
While the Kuaka, who are here from September to March, attract a large number of people, our favourites here are the Ngutu parore / Wrybill. While these itty bitty birds might not be like the great Arctic Migrants, they migrate south to the braided rivers of South Island to breed. They are the only birds to have a bill that curves to the right, which is believed to be an evolutionary adaptation to feed on invertebrates that other straight billed birds might not reach.
There is however one birds that we see regularly along the east coast that has my heart, and that is the Royal Spoonbill! I find them enigmatic and hilarious! Dave Hansford has described their arrival perfectly in his article for NZ Geographic " They arrived here from Australia without fanfare, flying across the ditch for no reason anyone has been able to deduce. But they liked the look of the place, decided to stay, and started a family."
However, they are so frustratingly difficult to photograph! They are always out of lens range, or they sit on the side of the highway with no place to pull over, or they fly overhead just as I pack away my camera for the day and the light is fading! Arrgghh! I will get a good photo one day, until then enjoy the few good ones I have of the other shorebirds and the views of the new backyard.
However, here is a sneaky photo of a spoonbill I took while in the Dunedin! Man it was hard to get this one, but I love it as it shows that punk nature of these birds I love so much!
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