Trip Report
23 January 2005
STEWART ISLAND (RAKIURA) TRIP REPORT
14 of us departed Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island at 8.30AM, 23 January,
light winds, stunning day. Great to get down to the boat in the morning
and have the skipper say - you can go anywhere! Chose to do a circumnavigation
of the Island to see if we could pick up a good mix of birds. While a
trip out to the Solanders was tempting, with light airs it could have
proved to a long way for little return and would have meant coming back
the same route. Our last trip from Fiordland down to the Solanders had
been a fantastic experience but the conditions had been very different.
The circum-navigation at least offered spectacular scenery and Stewart
Island didn't disappoint in that respect. Far from it. Our route was along
the northern coast to Codfish cutting between the Ruggedy Islands and
the Knobbies en route. From the western end of Codfish we headed south
to Mason Reef/Mason Bay then down to Big South Cape Island and the rest
of the Southern Muttonbird group. Rounding South Cape we headed straight
for North Trap, before the cruise back to Halfmoon Bay up the eastern
side in flat calm conditions. On the trip we hit patches of big numbers
of birds and some quiet sections.
Birds seen included:
Gibson's Albatross - one seen.
Northern Royal Albatross - one seen. The absence of reasonable numbers
of great albatrosses was a bit of a surprise, especially as Colin our
skipper had seen many down the east side of the Island on a run to the
Snares two days earlier.
Buller's Albatross - 50+ at the three chumming spots, and more seen while
steaming. Some following the boat
White-capped Albatross - 50+
Salvin's Albatross - 10+
Mottled Petrel - 50+ firstly a handful close to Codfish and on the west
side of the Island, then a steady stream either side of North Trap. More
could be seen well away from the boat while steaming heading away from
North Trap.
Cook's Petrel - 10+ a couple at Codfish (with the Mottled Pets), out from
Mason Bay, then more either side of North Trap
Snares Cape Petrel - 100+ individuals seen from near Codfish all the way
round. Then groups of 20 or so birds feeding with R-b gulls near Queen
Victoria Rocks (near Big South Cape Is). Also good numbers at North Trap.
Sooty Shearwater - 1000s, so many, one of the great sights of southern
waters in summer is to see the huge numbers of these birds, always moving
through. At North Trap this trip the concentration of birds was extraordinary,
especially as they moved around the boat when we stopped to chum
Short-tailed Shearwater - one seen
Buller's Shearwater - 5-10
White-faced Storm Petrel - 100s mainly south of Codfish and out from Mason
Bay, although we also picked up good numbers along the SE coast (incl
the North Trap area). Very seldom seen out from Halfmoon Bay and on the
eastern side so great to see so many
Common Diving Petrel - 100s as with WFSPs, although we always pick them
up on the ferry crossing between Bluff and the Island.
Fairy Prion - 10s, mainly in the vicinity of North Trap. Such small numbers
was another surprise plus we'd hoped to pick up Broad-billed Prion. Especially
when on past trips we'd picked up 100s of FPs on the reefs out from Port
Adventure, North Trap and FP and B-bPs on the western side of the Island
(admittedly further out towards the Solanders). We'd also been primed
by Colin's seeing 'prions with white tips to their tails' just south of
the Island on the Snares run!
Prion sp. - one bird with a narrow dark band on the tail flicked through
but was only glimpsed by two or three
Yellow-eyed Penguin - several seen swimming in calm conditions several
nms out from Lords River
Fiordland Crested Penguin - one seen on Big South Cape Island
Blue Penguin - 10s along the eastern side of the Island; also only seen
scaling a small waterfall on Big South Cape
Brown Skua - 10 seen in the vicinity of the Southern Muttonbird Islands
Black-backed Gull - 100+ like sentinels on promontories
Red-billed Gull - 100s a number of large groups feeding in the surge and
tidal flow between stacks and islands, other groups resting on the dramatic
rock formations which are such a feature of the Stewart Island coastline
White-fronted Tern - ditto although in much smaller numbers
Antarctic Tern - 13 seen either flying on their own or resting in 2-3s
with R-b Gulls and White-fr Terns
Reef Heron - 1
Stewart Island Shag - 100+
Spotted Shag - 10s
Pied Shag - 20+
Back in Halfmoon Bay at 6.30PM.
Add a night for Stewart Island Brown Kiwi (great views) and Ulva for South
Island Saddleback incl to 2X 'Jackbirds', Yellowhead, Brown Creeper, Kaka,
Weka, Rifleman, Red-crowned Parakeet etc. on a superb forest walk plus
glorious weather - Stewart Island is hard to beat! Having said that -
a family of rock wrens in the Hollyford (parents with one gorgeous fluffed
up just-fledged male youngster) yesterday was pretty damned nice too!
Happy birding
Chris Gaskin
Pterodroma Pelagics
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