caiden_b's Favorites

Is anyone able to identify the species of bird that this black backed gull has presumably scavenged. Seen at the northern end of Tiritiri Matangi Island. Must be at the upper size limit of what it can carry? This is one of two images.

This bird was first photographed and reported via the NZ Bird Identification Facebook group. Upon seeing this we made a visit to Waikanae Estuary and scanned the flock of White-fronted Terns several times before the bird flew in and landed amongst them around 11:45am. It then roosted for 45 minutes before leaving to feed in the channel with the majority of the tern flock.
Basic plumage marsh tern with extensive black headphone markings on head, darker grey upperparts than the similar White-winged black tern, along with a longer bill, darker legs, a grey rump, and grey shoulder tabs which are diagnostic for Black tern. This is likely the Eurasian subspecies Chlidonias niger niger owing to the pale underwings and relatively small shoulder tab markings. Would be the 1st record of this species for New Zealand if accepted.

Welcome swallows have been a feature of Lincoln University's 7-storey Burns building for many decades. It's the equivalent of a cliff face for the swallows. The building is now scheduled for demolition though.

Observed after the end of the 2021 breeding season.

At least 10 adult birds gathered on beach, lots of interaction between birds. Very relaxed behaviour. A few days later all birds had departed with none to be seen on the beach.

This guy was just a wee red blob, but I knew it was something interesting from previous observations from up north :-)

The last image has a scale (mm and 1/2 mm divisions), the bell is about 4mm high.

It can curl up its tentacles so they are just little knobs, which it does when swimming. It can then unfurl those tentacles and drift with them extended.

@skipperdogman Recognise him?

This is Kōanga a lovely male leopard seal that traveled from Wellington at the end of September all the way to summer beach at least 300km from Wellington for labour weekend.