Mega Three Kings pelagic!

Well we are back on dry land and struggling to come to terms with what was the best yet Three Kings pelagic. We were out on the water early on 2 March and got back in this afternoon. Star of the trip is what we believe to be the first record of COLLARED PETREL for New Zealand (an intermediate morph bird). Photographed well with photos to follow. Also epic birds and firsts for these pelagics was WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER (seen three out of four days), TAHITI PETREL (one seen twice distantly, possibly the same bird, also photographed), and a SOOTY TERN (also photographed). We also had at least a couple of GOULD'S PETRELS (inc a bird photographed today with a thin collar), 60+ white-naped petrels, 13 white terns, 22 long-tailed skua, 4 NZ stormies (on the first day whilst steaming out from Houhora), countless black-winged petrels, and about 9 Kermadec petrels. Seven Pterodroma species and all up about 90 individual reportable rarities! Full report to follow...

Three Kings bound

Well just on our way to Houhora in the Far North of NZ. We get on the boat 'Demelza' tonight and sail early in the morning. Forecast looks good, great crew, and expectations are high! I wont have any internet coverage until I am back in on the night of 5 March so expect an update with photos on the 6th...

It’s White Island, but not as we know it

So we awoke to a relatively windless White Island this morning, that was like we knew it from last time when we were here and got ashore.  There was a little swell, but it all looked manageable...that was until the wind suddenly started to rise and gradually increased to a point where things really weren't going to work.  A small southerly swell was rolling right into the landing site on the island, and with the wind increasing it looked less and less likely we would be able to get ashore as the wind built to a steady 15+ knots.  We did a couple of circuits of the island in beautiful light, and managed to get some nice shots.

In the end the operators arrived from Whakatane to help take us ashore (driving right through the middle of a flock of bathing gannets just offshore from the island – not good form guys!) and we decided it just wasn’t going to be possible to get our guys ashore safely.  So we did another pass of the island, and then headed out and around Volkner Rocks.  Managed a distant view of a grey ternlet on the rocks, before then heading off towards the Mercury Islands.

I did a lecture in the late morning on gannets, and then we had beautiful cruising conditions as we headed north-west towards the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula.  The wind gradually seemed to drop, and with only a little swell it was very pleasant on the bow.  A few birds around, with Buller’s, flesh-footed and a single little shearwater, Black, grey-faced, Cook’s and at least one Pycroft’s petrel and some absolutely stunning flying fish.  I made it my mission to try and get some decent shots of flying fish this afternoon...and I think I succeeded!  Got some really great shots – possibly some of the best of the month onboard, so very happy.  Also a couple of rays right on the surface feeding (possibly some sort of devil ray?) and later one leaping from the water twice...why not a third time as I had things lined up and ready to shoot!  Also a leaping ocean sunfish – absolutely bizarre and very distant photos, and a massive black shape in the water that may have been a manta.  No cetaceans...I guess we had had it yesterday with a large pod of common dolphins that came in and rode the bulbous bow for about 20-30 minutes as we left Gisborne.  Got some great shots (took about 1200 in all!) just hanging the camera out over the side and shooting without being able to see.

We are now heading in towards Auckland where it all finishes as I write this.

Common dolphins riding the bulbous bow

Common dolphins leaping

Beautiful clear water and common dolphins

White Island with two of the gannet colonies visible

White Island puffing away

A small flying fish (uncropped)

Grey-faced petrel in flight

Uncropped flying fish...my favourite of the afternoon

Flying fish angling away

Just cutting the surface

Beautiful light

Thinking of Christchurch

Well it is a very sad time for Christchurch and the people of New Zealand. This is just to let people know all is ok with my family and I. Many are not so lucky and our thoughts are with them. Thanks for the emails and contact to find out if we are ok, all much appreciated.

Kaiks!

So today we had an awesome time in Kaikoura...a place I love!  We anchored just off South Bay early this morning, and the sun was streaming in through the port holes.  Up and off to shore in the Xplorer and I led the first birders on an Albatross Encounter trip.  Gary was the skipper, and so I really didn’t need to be there, but of course wanted to!

So we headed out into a lumpy sea, there was no wind but a good 2-3m residual swell.  Before too long we got onto a local fishing boat processing some of its catch and so the birds were coming pretty easy.  To start with we had at least 10 wandering albatross, a single Buller’s albatross (probably the Northern subspecies), Salvin’s and white-capped albatross, and later a single Northern Royal albatross – five species of albatross, and most of them up close.  Once we stopped and put the chum out for them we literally had most of them within arms length.  There were also a lot of Cape petrels squabbling over the food, but keeping out of the way of the bigger birds, and lots of white-chinned petrels, a few Westland petrels, and several species of shearwater.  Everything was wheeling around the boat and with perfect light for photography the shutters onboard were being punished!  A strange white-chinned petrel with small white ‘spectacles’ had Gary and myself excited, but alas not enough for a real spectacled petrel!

We spent about 2 hours with the birds, adjusting the angle of the boat to maximise light direction etc., and with just a light breeze everyone coped with the swell very well.  The birds were still wheeling around the boat, often within touching distance, but we decided to head inshore to check out a few other sites.  So we said good-bye to the albatrosses and headed towards Barney’s Rock.  Close to the rock we could see the dolphin swimming boats with their swimmers in the water, so we avoided them, but got great views of spotted shags, red-billed gulls, and NZ fur seals all over the rocks.  A couple of little blue penguins were also around and we got relatively close to them, and then a small number of dusky dolphins decided to breakaway from the swimmers and come around us.  So we had stunning views of them as well!

We then headed along the coast towards home, but with streams of spotted shags coming past we decided to follow them and found a big feeding flock of them just off the beach.  We spent a little time with them, and then found a flock of the local endemic Hutton’s shearwater feeding with some white-fronted terns.  Perfect!  Excellent photo opportunities of them both, before heading back to the harbour.

I headed back to the Dolphin/Albatross Encounter base and had lunch with Alex, a good mate who works for them, before spending some time photo editing and catching up on some emails, etc.  In looking at my photos I came across a white-chinned petrel that had a piece of nylon fishig line about 4-5cm sticking out of the corner of its mouth.  A sad reminder that this species is one of the worst affected by long-line fishing.  This line looked more like that from a recreational fisher, but obviously indicated an embedded hook within the bird.

I headed out with Gary and another group later this afternoon, with less birds, but picked up an additional Campbell albatross, and had gorgeous light.  So well worth it.  We are now bumping our way north towards Wellington.  The last couple of days since Fiordland have been great, with a nice day on Stewart and Ulva Island and then yesterday in Dunedin.  Spotted shags in their hundreds feeding around the ship alongside the port were the photographic highlights for me.

Wandering albatross in close

One of my favourite images of the day, a Salvin's albatross

'Bespectacled' white-chinned petrel

And a little closer

Northern Royal albatross

White-chinned petrel with nylon fishing line hanging out of the corner of its bill

Buller's albatross landing

Hutton's shearwater in flight

Beautiful wandering albatross portrait

And from earlier - Stewart Island and Dunedin...

Tomtit on Stewart Island

NZ fur seal porpoising beside the ship

Spotted shag beside the ship in Otago Harbour

Doing the duck dive

Duck dive Part II

White-capped albatross in flight