My New Zealand Adventure

I spent six days on the South Island of New Zealand from 10/20/12 to 10/26/12. It was jam-packed with adventure and work – it was a business trip with a couple days tacked on for sightseeing. Got to go back with Marty. Saw many birds:

House Sparrow

Blackbird

Paradise Shelduck

Australasian Harrier (Swamp Harrier)

Chaffinch

Australian Magpie

Mallard

Canada Goose

Australian Shoveler

White-faced Heron

Black Swan

Welcome Swallow

California Quail

Pukeko (like our Purple Gallinule)

Domestic Geese

Southern Black-backed Gull

South Island Tomtit

Skylark

Goldfinch

Silvereye

Masked Lapwing (Spur-Winged Plover)

Kereru (Wood Pigeon)

New Zealand Gray Fantail

Spotted Shag

Pied Shag

Yellowhammer

Starling

Tern from a distance – no idea what it was

Red-billed Gull

Variable Oystercatcher

Little Blue (White-flippered) Penguin

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Song Thrush

Sulfur-crested Cockatoo

Rock Pigeon

While at Willowbank, a fantastic nature preserve outside of Christchurch, I saw these birds (some being rehabilitated, some serving as ambassadors):

Kea

Tui

South Island Takahe

Little Spotted Kiwi

Barbary Dove