Käyttäjän grahame tunnistukset

A last minute opportunity to do the "albatross encounter" trip at Kaikoura resulted in a great range of species for a winter trip. It was a rough day so we had to stay within the shelter of the peninsula but nevertheless a good range of pelagic species came to the boat.
These included: 4 northern royal albatross, and six southern. Unfortunately I lack the skills/knowledge to different between the two for this observation.

A flock of gull-bird tern in adult breeding plumage circled me for several minutes calling loudly during a visit to Kaituna Lagoon end of Lake Ellesmere. Associating strongly with caspian tern and black-billed gulls. Interestingly their calling and circling behaviour was a virtual mimic of the caspian terns which had a breeding colony with young chicks present nearby to protect, something the gull-bills would not have had.

Examples of the defensive/distraction display of this dotterel which was how I first found her after nearly blundering onto her nest. I grabbed a few quick shots of the display then backed off to allow her to return to her eggs.

Not seen these before in Gisborne.
First heard them cooing in the morning and after a while saw one on the roof as the sun was rising. According to authorities first introduced to Auckland and have spread to Bay of Plenty and Opotiki. Now several birds here ? whether escaped from captivity or migrated south from BoP.

Is anybody monitoring the spread of these, and do they take over food or habitat from native birds?

I first saw a few of these several years ago, maybe half a kilometre down my street, now there are dozens of them around home and they seem to have filled the entire valley.