benackerley's Favorites

Continuing bird. Great birding this morning with @islandnaturespotter

with Hawkes Bay tree weta, Hemideina trewicki, a common association in this area.

Absolutely stunning P. h. anatokiensis! Shell size approx. 70 mm. 🐌

in pitfall

I think it's a male, but not too sure. Location obscured

Seen same ight as @euanbrook observation, but is different gecko then his ob

Lakes Skink, but Inat doesn't have it as a separate species, this one appears to be rather melanistic.

Oligosoma aff. chloronoton "West Otago"

Location obscured, new record for this species.
Gravid female.

Seen flying at a distance over Porangahau River. I initially thought it was a kahu, but seemed blacker, with a different wing beat, so I photographed in order to ID later.

Presumably escapee from nearby property

This bird was found on Muriwai Beach then successfully rehabilitated but the NZ Bird Rescue Trust. The identification was confirmed as a juvenile Lesser frigatebird by bill measurements and markings.

Chick, taken with trail camera.

First NZ record - https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Notornis_32_4-1985-pp322-323.pdf

Seen a few years ago on the West Coast.
Had notably less distinct markings than a bar-tailed, and had notably dark underwings.

A rather lucky find!
Was slightly too small and slender to be a Caspian Tern, and had a black beak.

Seen on track in day time

A bit off course

Nest with 3 eggs

Morepork with nest

Distinguishing features incude forked tail and fingered wings, different colour to harrier. Known vagrant.

First walk after the shift to Level 3, and this karearea flew up the ridge to settle on the stump in front of the top seat and check me out for a minute or two. One of two.

Juvenile tern, not sure which? Second photo shows size relative to Caspian

Waitati stream. Have never seen one here before.

Mid-day sighting wit balmy, muggy weather.

A nice surprise when I went for a Godwit count this morning. First time I've seen them on this beach.

With pied stilts

This lone male shore plover was a long way from home. It was bred and released on Mana Island off the Wellington Coast.

this shot shows the sheer scale of the size of the WF tern colony based on the Ashley river estuary, and the shot doesn't even show them all!

Likely 5-6+ individuals seen or heard in Raupo around Harts Creek, Lake Ellesmere. Much booming, which has started sometime between 16th & 30th August.

A flock of 12 curlew sandpiper at the Kaitorete Spit tip, Lake Ellesmere.

This was an unusual and weird day as I recall, seeing this animal so far off course...