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birds (36)

Rock Pigeon on a post.

Rock Pigeons

Cities everywhere are plagued by Rock Pigeons but I only recently realised there are a few that hang out at Waikawa Beach too. I’ve spotted them on the corner of Sarah Street and Strathnaver Drive and on the paddock of the farm at the village entrance. This bird didn’t want to hang around for photos.

Two gulls seeming to chat as they walk by the sea.

Red-billed gulls

I was never really very fond of gulls, but I'm coming to quite like the ones at Waikawa Beach. Tarapunga, Red-billed gull.

Small bird with ruddy chest, on driftwood on the beach.

Little dots: the Dotterels

Down close to the river, if you look really carefully, you might see the tiny Dotterels dashing around. I think they’re quite hilarious, the way they dash from one spot to another. It was only on examining my photos closely that I discovered we have two kinds of dotterels at Waikawa Beach: the Banded Dotterel and the New Zealand Dotterel.

Large black and white bird with wings folded, reflected in wet sand.

Pied shag at the beach

Two photos from mid-March 2022 of a Kawau, Pied Shag at the beach. 🐦 Length: 65 - 85 cm; Weight: 1.3 - 2.1 kg A large, relatively slim black-and-white shag with white face, black feet, blue eye-rings and yellow facial skin. Black back, nape and upperwings contrast with white throat, breast and belly.

Bird with long beak feeding in wet sand.

Late season kuaka

It’s almost Autumn Equinox and soon most of the Kuaka will head back home to Alaska. There were still some feeding at Waikawa Beach on 11 March 2022 though.

Screenshot of article header.

Drones help find cryptic Bitterns

Matuku-hūrepo, Australasian Bittern were common in New Zealand in pre-colonial times but are now classified as Threatened – Nationally Critical, numbering fewer than 1000. There are three breeding sites at Waikawa Beach: two along Strathnaver Drive (mid way and near the north beach track) and one at the south end of Reay Mackay Grove. The bird are really shy though…