Waimanu Lagoons

Royal Spoonbill

This is a bit of a part 2 from the last post! When you bird Waekanae Estuary, you get the extra bonus of having the Waimanu Lagoons next door.  Literally. Just walk across the parking lot and you'll find this lovely trail that goes around some ponds.

Black Swan

This area is extremely "birdy" and a nice break from walking on the sand for several hours. There is another area to enter the Waekanae Estuary. This has a proper parking lot and will connect the estuary and lagoons together with a really nice public bathroom.  Once the door is closed, classical music plays while you take care of business for your next hike in the lagoon or estuary.  

As you walk away from the very natural Waikanae Estuary, you'll enter into a very well maintained garden area that is full of several artificial ponds. 

These ponds had a whole lot of new cool birds including some that are real tricky elsewhere to see in the forests. Plus you'll meet some of the nicest people along these easily walkable trails. It sometimes reminded me of being on a golf course back in the US.  

Some tips. When Heidi and I were discussing strategy, experience popped into my mind.  Head to the estuary first before the dog walkers and morning people start walking all over the plover and dotterel areas....or you won’t find them. There is a bit of good news though.  Currently, the tip has been closed off for these nesting birds. During this time of observations, it was their winter and our personal hell in Tucson. I think every summer now until my death, I will head to the other side of the planet and stay cool or cold.  

                                                                   Brown Teal-an endemic
Back to Waimanu. There were several birds I had hoped to pick up here....the endangered Brown Teal, Royal Spoonbills, Australasian Shovelers and their Grebe.  Let me start with the Brown Teal.  I know, maybe not the most exciting bird when you first study it.  However, when I saw a group of them LIVE, I got excited.  They are SUPER secretive and feed at night.  This is a nocturnal bird like the Morepork and Kiwi. My best views were at this lagoon.  I saw them at Zealandia in the pitch dark with babies and it was cool to see them doing their thing but the nice clear views weren't possible.  Waimanu is that place to observe their beautiful rootbeer tones and red eyes. 

Another bird I really wanted to see was the Royal Spoonbill.  I had seen they were there, at a least a few of them. Honestly, most spoonbills are not easily approachable, but this species was okay with the walkers. They seemed unphased by people. Again, the people were so awesome and friendly.  A couple was so excited to share with us that there was a group around the middle lagoon area where they have been reported to breed. My huge camera always sparks conversations with the public which is the same as people with dogs or babies:) And me loving that people are so kind makes me want to stop and chat about whatever comes up.  It is such a beautiful thing. It reinforces the thought that there are many wonderful humans on this planet.  They're just harder to find these days. 

                                                                           Eastern Rosella

I had briefly considered stopping in Sydney before heading to the North Island.  But I wanted to spend time with Heidi and her family. They were on vacation which was a great time for hanging out. A little Australian surprise happened in the form of this Eastern Rosella.  They are not native to the country but like most parrots and parakeets, they have naturalized and are now widespread around the southern tip of the North Island.  This was the only really super colorful bird that I saw on the island.  It just wet my appetite for Australia even more.  By the way, brown birds are cool.  While New Zealand doesn't have as many flashy birds as other countries, their birds make it up with their wonderful personalities.  In fact, I'd say there was a special connection between the people and the birds there. Everywhere we went, birds came up to us and "played" with us on our walks, hoped for some food by us scratching something up with our feet(the robins) during our hikes, or watched us out of curiosity like the loud Kaka and Tui. There is a special relationship between the locals and their birds. This trip was a very interactive experience with the wildlife. 

Sometimes I forget what I'm chasing when there are so many new birds to be found....as was the case with this New Zealand Grebe.  I completely forgot they were there and was thrilled to see a few at the ponds. 

New Zealand Grebe-another endemic

The walk is easy.  The birds were easy.  The day was just perfection. My hair is naturally curly in humid climates. There were about a million(I exaggerate) Australasian Swamphens on the grass. I love my rails and ground birds. 

These beautifully manicured grounds are surrounded by gorgeous homes.  The trails are easy to navigate and cover a nice area.  

I was finally able to confirm Australasian Shovelers, below.  I had seen some with their heads tucked in at the estuary but I couldn't get a lock on the ID.  There were a few preening around the lagoons.  They are common in certain areas but I had no luck around the Wellington area.  When I asked other birders, they looked at me with a blank stare. I began to worry that I had failed in my studies and read the wrong information. 

Along the way, we had stunning views of Black Swans.  Just be careful around the babies.  There was one part of the trail where the parents were closely eyeing us.  I'm not sure what's worse, to be bitten by a goose or a swan? I don't ever want to find out.  
 

So when one moves towards you, move back:)

To pick up your new birds, it'll take up a full morning.  Start early with the estuary and then head over to the lagoons. By noon or 1, you should be done with both hotspots and ready for a lovely lunch at one of the many local restaurants. 

Planning is everything on these trips.  With a gorgeous morning out along the coast, we were ready for a family dinner in the evening back in Wellington.  Then it was time to take a trip inside the Wellington Bay to the Matiu/Somes Island.  Our mission?  To search for Little Penguins and King Shags and whatever came our way......

Until next time.