Totaranui- Bird Antics

Catch-up

Let's see if I can keep the typing (talking) to a minimum on this one, I still have another Totaranui blog to post and I don't want to get too far behind again. 

As I said previously, Totaranui (Abel Tasman National Park) is a great place to spend some quality birding time but the trouble is, if you're a photographer and a birder, you end up with screeds and screeds of photos to process, and way too many you want to share. I managed to whittle them down to these few; some cute shots, some fun shots, a couple of unusual shots and a sad one too.

I finally found some weka chicks during the second week, in fact after only seeing a couple of chicks during the first week, they were suddenly everywhere, although the parents do keep them hidden in the bush most of the time. 

It's easy to spot a weka who has chicks; if they find food while foraging out in the open they suddenly take off, running very fast (they are comical to watch), making a beeline for the bush, clucking loudly. Not a great strategy if you don't want predators to find your chicks I would have thought.

A few weka head down to the beach very early to check out the overnight tide lines, weaving up and down to the water and round and round in circles along the beach like some drunken sailor. It was cute to find adult footprints with tiny chick prints running alongside one morning. But it was also disappointing to find dog footprints one day. Dogs are not allowed in the Park but obviously someone thought the rules didn't apply to them.

I found this older Weka Chick standing out in the open all by himself. He suddenly decided he was out of there and ran off calling loudly for Mum 'Arrrggghhhh.....she's after me, she's after me, heeelp!!'  (and my settings were not ready for his quick departure).

This has to be one of the most unusual photos I have taken of a bird (and now a favourite). An acrobatic (pole dancing someone suggested) Kereru/NZ Wood Pigeon out to get the tastiest Tree Lucerne shoots at the end of a very thin wispy branch. They are very versatile and agile birds for their size but this is something else.

I was walking back to camp when I thought I saw some paper caught in a bush. It wasn't until I got closer that I realised it was a Kereru hanging upside down. It was so absorbed in hanging on while stripping off the tastiest shoots that it didn't take any notice of me as I crept closer. When it eventually spotted me it let go and hit the ground with a thump, before flying off. 

The pigeons were often the subject of my lens, there were just so many of them about. Here they are; chasing each other, stretching for shoots and flying off in the wrong direction when I was trying for some flight shots.

Even though they are quite slow flyers they tried my patience many times as I attempted to get those flight shots.

And sometimes they just played peek-a-boo...

Here are a couple of comparison shots- one taken in the shade and the other in the sun. While there seemed to be some slight variations in colouring amongst birds, you can still see how iridescent the head and in particular the breast feathers are here. That green is quite spectacular and stands out like a sore thumb when you're scanning the trees for birds.

Spring wouldn't be spring without ducklings and especially our native Paradise Shelduck ducklings. Here's Mum (one of the few native females that are prettier than their male counterparts)

And Dad (who is still quite handsome)...

And their four gorgeous fluffy ducklings... 

It's hard to believe that this isn't a pond they're swimming in, it's a small depression that has filled with water (so much rain over winter) alongside the 'Grand Entrance' trees. They also swam in another couple of large muddy potholes on the edge of a track on the other side of the trees. 

And it's where I headed each time I wanted to check in on the family. Although they spent a lot of time at the pools they would also do a loop each day, waddling all the way up to our campsite bay, cutting through and then heading back along the estuary edge to their pools; quite a feat for 4 tiny ducklings. 

I say 4 but it wasn't long before it became 3 and then 2 ducklings. Anyone who has been following my blog knows I'm a sucker for ducklings and it usually ends in heartache so I try not to become too attached to them.  But how can you not resist these cute bundles of fluff?  

"Please will you just sit down Mum!" says this duckling who reminds me of the 'Joker'. Check out his 'grin' (click to enlarge the photo), it's a dirt line from dabbling in the pool.

I was sitting on the van steps one afternoon when the family came waddling through, now with just the two ducklings. I reached inside to get my camera and went to take a photo just as a weka came racing out from underneath the van and grabbed one of the ducklings. I managed to click off a couple of shots as I raced towards the melee waving and shouting (excuse the photos, once again I wasn't expecting so much action). Here you can see the duckling in the Weka's bill,  Mum was quickly after it, trampling the 2nd duckling as she chased. 

Dad was a bit slow off the mark, the weka still has the duckling but dropped it soon afterwards. Weka are known to predate ducklings and I've also been witness to one stalking a Pukeko chick at Lake Kaniere on the West Coast. 

The family departed at a very fast pace down the estuary track, quacking and cheeping to each other. Later in the evening, when I checked in on them at the pools, there were still two ducklings.

But the next day they were down to one. It's a tough life being a duckling, it's no wonder they usually have so many.

Breathtaking Aoraki/Mt Cook

Catch-up

The time had come to hit the road again, leave Lake Tekapo behind and continue heading south. With a small window of fine weather forecast before another late spring storm was due,  we made the decision to head to Aoraki/Mt Cook for a couple of days. We’d passed the end of the road a few times on our travels but the weather was overcast and/or raining each time and as it’s 55km to the end of the road there’s just no point in visiting the tallest mountain in New Zealand if it has it’s head in the clouds all the time you're there- Aoraki is Maori for 'cloud piercer' so there is a good chance it might be hidden.

We stopped at the Lake Pukaki lookout (our 4th visit), joining dozens of others- it must be the start of the tourist season, every second vehicle is a hire camper or a tourist bus…

and had our first clear view of the Mt Cook looking very impressive at the end of the lake.

Our next stop was for lunch at Peters Lookout, a few kilometres along the Mt Cook Road.

The area is not that large and is up on a knoll and it’s not until you pull in that you can see if there are any parking spots available. We don’t usually pull into places like this with the 5th-wheeler on the back, unless we have a clear view otherwise we can find ourselves in a bit of a pickle if there’s no turning or too many vehicles.

Luckily we managed to pull into a spot on the side of the carpark because as you can see, there were once again, plenty of tourists! As it was, while we were inside the van having lunch, a rental car pulled up beside our steps. I swear I could have stepped straight out and climbed into the driver’s seat without touching the ground.

What a place to have lunch though, the view is breathtaking, looking down a millpond Lake Pukaki- if you ignore the jumble of felled pine off-cuts in the foreground- and, although you can’t see it here, the water is the beautiful aqua blue of the alpine lakes in the area.

We head off again after lunch and I keep clicking, I can’t get enough of such a stunning sight, along every straight and around every bend Mt Cook stands proud ahead of us.

David stops at Glentanner to take a phone call which allows me to take a photo from outside. It’s just 12kms from here to the White Horse Hills DOC camp at the end of the road. There's a commercial camp site at Glentanner but really, I can see no point in stopping there as all the action is at the end of the road. It would mean a 24km round trip everytime you wanted to do a walk or tramp from the Mt Cook village. Although, I guess if you want power or are in the area for a few days it would suit to stay at Glentanner.

The road levels out as we travel alongside the wide river plain that drains the surrounding mountains.

The Burnett Mountains back the Tasman River as it flows towards Lake Pukaki. The braided river system is good Black Stilt territory but we won’t be checking for any here, it’s miles across to the river!

Ahead of us, peeping around a corner, we can see the tail end of the Tasman Glacier and the source of the Tasman River (and the rock flour that turns Lake Pukaki it’s beautiful blue).

Finally we see Mt Cook village and the Hermitage Hotel tucked into the side of the valley.

The White Horse Hills DOC camp is located directly ahead below that small hill and under the shadow of Mt Sefton- I don’t know that yet though, I’m thinking it’s Mt Cook when we arrive (even though I’ve just seen it out to the right). Why? I don’t know, I’m not usually directionally challenged but I’m thinking the sheer size and grandeur of the surrounding mountains have thrown me. Once you’re actually underneath them, some of the peaks disappear from sight. And Mt Cook is hidden from view when you're in the DOC Camp, the small 'hill' blocks your view.

We pass the day carparks and head into the campground to suddenly come to a scraping halt! Hmmm…we’re too long at 15 metres, to get through the ford- you can see it on the far right of this campground pano. How embarrassing, David backs off and luckily he wasn’t moving too fast so we haven’t grounded and got stuck, just a few marks on the concrete and all ok on the van. Now what to do? We won’t be stopping in the camp tonight.

We back into the closest carpark to check out our options, and when a vehicle leaves from the corner we manoeuvre into that space and decide that this will do just fine for a couple of nights. We later hear that it’s fine to camp there if you’re too long for the ford and the carpark isn’t too busy. As long as you pay your fees, DOC are fine with it- whether that’s an urban myth or not we don’t know but nobody bats an eye at us over the next two nights. Well nearly nobody, we do get a few stares and plenty of selfies taken as day trippers pass us by, and then there were the tour groups….but you’ll hear about them shortly.

How’s this for the view out the front door! Pretty impressive don’t you think? Not your usual backyard sight. We sure do find ourselves in some spectacular spots. It’s about now that I realise that this is Mt Sefton not Mt Cook.

It’s kinda surreal too, preparing dinner under the shadow of a mountain while people walk past just metres away. I can never get used to that; everyday life on the inside while an extraordinary sight, and people that have paid thousands of dollars and dreamed for years of visiting New Zealand walk past outside. Ham & mushroom omelette with a side of asparagus anyone? And yes the window needs a clean, but I gave my window cleaner the evening off.

The DOC campground is obviously very popular- the next available campground is at Glentanner or it’s back to Twizel or Tekapo over 70kms away. With a number of walks available to do in the Park a lot of people wouldn’t have the time to do them if they come just for the day so staying a night or two makes sense. And although there’s plenty of space in the camp and it’s early in the season the site is about two-thirds full both the nights we’re there. There’s a large amenity block and the kitchen is very crowded in the evenings. So many nationalities and so many languages, it’s hard to hear over the chatter.

Mt Sefton has me enthralled, I keep opening the door to check it out as the evening draws in. The snow glistens and sparkles as the sun sets and a high wind whips across the peak. This photo was taken at 9pm, twilight lasts until well after 10:30pm, another thing I can’t get used to down south.

Early the next morning I hear a whole lot of chatter outside the van. Imagine my surprise when I take a look and find a Japanese tour party getting the run down on their walk to Kea Point. And then they start doing their warm up exercises, one lady even using the side of the van as a support while she stretches her leg!

Another group are further up the path and doing the same thing!

And the next morning, the same thing happens again! You’ve got to smile don’t you? But good on the tour leaders for making sure their clients are warmed up. I love the get-up some of them are wearing- daypack- check, sunhat- check, solid walking shoes- check, garters- check...wait, most didn't get that memo, woolly beret & fashion scarf- only if your day job is on the catwalk.

We had other visitors to our van too- quack, quack, Mum said, as I opened the door to a bundle of fluff checking out the door mat.

Dad was quick to join his family and they were all super friendly given that Paradise Ducks are usually hard to get close to. The ducklings were running over my fingers and pecking at my feet. This family have learnt the ropes of the campground and are obviously camp regulars, checking in on all the arriving vans to see if anybody had spare treats.

The ducklings are so cute, I love the colour combination of the Paradise, they really blend in with their natural environment of rocky streams and lakes edges.

Once they had finished entertaining me and posing for numerous photos taken by passing tourists the ducklings settled down on the warm gravel between our vehicle and the car next door. Mum flew up to the roof to keep watch and Dad stood(sat) guard on the otherside.

Six of the ducklings huddled together for a time, one settled down on his own…

…before he started shivering and decided to join his siblings by piling in on top of them. Altogether now……awww!

You should have seen the faces of the couple who returned to the car, they couldn’t quite decide what to do; take photos or clap their hands to shoo them away.

Checking out of Kenepuru

The sun sets over Kenepuru Sound and after a wonderful ten days, it’s time to hit the road again and finish exploring the Marlborough Sounds.

We loved having the DOC Kenepuru Head campground to ourselves for most of the time we were there but when the long Labour weekend brought at least a dozen campers to the site it was great to have some company for a change. The campground is so large that there was plenty of space for everyone to spread themselves around.

After having fantastic weather all week the rain & wind arrived on the Sunday of the holiday weekend which was a shame for those that were in tents and/or had only come for a couple of days.

Of course our departure wouldn't be complete without a weka inviting himself in to say goodbye. He got a short shift!

I’m sure DOC thought we’d outstayed our welcome, they had to mow around our van (and in fact DOC have just mowed around our van once again here at our latest site, this is becoming a habit!)

Without any stops, and travelling slower through all the twists & turns with the 5th-wheeler on the back, made the 40km to the main road feel a very long way. We were heading to the DOC camp at Momorangi on Queen Charlotte Drive which is just 6-7kms on from the main road junction so it was good to know we didn't have too much of a journey ahead of us. Momorangi was on our radar because it had a small boat ramp & good access to the Sound without us having to worry about the tide. David was keen to see if the snapper had arrived.

Unfortunately our plans were foiled. We knew that Momorangi Camp was being upgraded over winter and that they hadn't quite finished them, but we didn't know that they actually have a long way to go to complete the changes. The Momorangi Campground is leased out and while its in a nice spot it’s more like your usual campground with all the facilities, it also has the main road running through the middle of it. After coming from the quiet and remote Kenepuru Head it was a bit of a shock to find such a busy site with earth moving machinery and workman everywhere along with sections of the campground roped off. So we made the decision to continue on to Picton and around to another DOC site at Whatamango Bay.

Queen Charlotte Drive is one hell of a road, it’s a narrow and winding (what’s new) scenic drive that links Picton with Havelock. Most sane people travel the extra distance and join the two towns by travelling via Blenheim, it’s longer but faster and the roads are fairly straight. Not us or overseas tourists, we want to see the sights. I think I saw a sign post flash past that said no vehicles over 9 metres. Too late. By the time it registered we were well past and we couldn't turn around to check. Oh well, we’re used to these roads by now.

The road was narrow, and it was very winding, and it climbed up a few hills but none of these faze us much any more. It was the amount of traffic coming the other way, and mostly driving down the centre of the road, that was the worry. I know it’s narrow but there is a centre line for a reason, and if you have to cross it, slow down and check nothing is coming the other way before proceeding. These cars just pressed on seeming to take no notice of the fact that we were approaching.

Once we got to the other end and stopped at the lookout over Picton wharf I realized that a lot of traffic would have come off the ferries that had recently berthed.

We stopped in Picton to top up the tanks with diesel & petrol(generator), fill the gas bottles, fill with fresh water & dump our black & grey water tanks- thankfully all at the one service station which was great. Next was the supermarket to replenish the fridge, freezer & pantry. We’d done really well with supplies and the only thing I ran out of was milk although I still had one carton of long-life milk left, and powdered milk if things became desperate (yuk). But it was nice to get fresh veges & fruit, bread & eggs and top up the supply cupboard as well. Oh, and the wine- just one bottle spare thanks to a few entertaining nights over Labour Weekend.

Finally we were back on the road and heading to Whatamango Bay another 10kms further on past Picton on narrow winding road (no surprise there!) The wind was picking up and storm clouds gathering by the time we pulled in and even though we set up camp down by the water we were tucked in behind some low bushes and around the corner from the main wind which was blasting down the bay.

Whatamango is another large site but it doesn’t quite have the same appeal as many of the other DOC camps that we’ve been to in the Sounds have. The tide was out when we arrived but by the look of it I think it must roll in here which just happens to be very near the front of our vehicles. It’s not a tidy looking bay, with lots of driftwood and debris scattered about and exposed mudflats.

I know the weather has a huge bearing on first impressions of a place but unfortunately this one isn’t doing it for us. Maybe we’ve just been spoilt too much with the sites we’ve already visited but we’re both not that impressed with this side of the Sounds. We were going to move onto to Whites Bay or Robin Hood Bay on the east coast after this stop but we’ve now decided we’re going to head to Nelson Lakes for the next couple of weeks. We’ll explore the east coast side another time, I think we’ve just had too much of the same scenery for now.

We might not be too impressed with the site but these couple of crazy ducks are even less impressed with us. They think we’ve brought intruders to their patch.

I thought, at first, that they were pecking the bugs off the bumpers but after half an hour of quacking, head bobbing and climbing over each other I went outside to have a look. They were attacking their reflection, silly crazy ducks. I think they were a little crazy anyway, they’re either brothers or two drakes in a relationship. They wander everywhere together, side by side, they play in the puddles and rest together, it is quite sweet how much affection they have for each other. But now they’re starting to annoy me (and David), they keep coming back and attacking the bumper. All day, they've been here and even when I chase them away, half an hour later they’re back again, quacking and dabbing at their reflections.

The mate of this female paradise duck spends half his time chasing them away too.

The forecast gale force winds and heavy rain arrived this morning but as I type the sun is back to shining although the wind is still strong- I spoke to soon, it’s now pouring again with strong gusts rocking the van. And as I predicted the tide came creeping around the corner this morning, stopping just short of the ute.

We’ll sit it out here tonight and then head to Blenheim tomorrow and onto the Lakes.

And in case you’re wondering why we don’t just move further afield, I’ll let you into a little secret. We’re booked to cross back over Cook Strait in mid November. But don’t panic. It’s just for a couple of months. Family is calling and the call is pretty loud. We’ve done good to last 12 months without seeing our North Island families but we’d really like to catch up with them soon. We’ll be in Tauranga late November & most of December and then Napier for Christmas & January, including going camping at the Tuki Tuki River like we should have two years ago (the two caravans have been replaced with motorhomes since then). Then we’ll cross back over late January and continue on our journey.

And once again this might be the last post for awhile, I'm not sure how reception will be at Nelson Lakes.