Last year I started my annual tradition of doing a Big Day on the first day of January. I don't know how many years I will keep doing it for. Maybe just two.
A Big Day in New Zealand is very different from a Big Day somewhere like the USA or pretty much anywhere in Europe except possibly Iceland, because there just aren't many birds in New Zealand. Also I do my Big Day as a Public Transport Big Day, which allows me to be sanctimonious about it but means I can't get to many places during the day, especially on New Years Day when buses and trains are on more limited schedules.
On last year's "January First Public Transport Big Day" I saw 53 species which were eligible for my listing standards, plus two which I don't count (Feral Goose and Zealandia's Takahe), plus two heard-only (Chaffinch and Grey Warbler) which I also don't count. On this "January First Public Transport Big Day" I again saw 53 species plus the two same ineligible species (Feral Goose and Zealandia's Takahe), but I had four heard-only birds (Ring-necked Pheasant, Red-crowned Kakariki, Shining Cuckoo, and Morepork). So I'll say I did better than last year, even though the number of birds which go on the Year List is exactly the same as last January First.
Last year I started on the south coast at Island Bay (for NZ Pipits, Reef Heron, and seabirds), then went to Zealandia (for native forest birds), then to the Waikanae Estuary followed by Pauatahanui Reserve (both for wetland / estuary birds), and ended at the Keith George Memorial Park for NZ Tomtit. This year I reversed it a bit, starting at Waikanae, then going to Zealandia, then to the Korokoro Dam (swapping it from last year's Keith George), and ending the day at Island Bay. I dropped out Pauatahanui, which didn't affect the total, but having Island Bay at the end didn't work out at all and I saw nothing there.
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I started off my Big Day at 5am, walking into town to catch the train to Waikanae (the first train was at 7.14am, but the first bus from my place heading into town wasn't until 7.05am). It's only about an hour's walk, but (in theory) would allow for some common-bird birding along the way so I left with ample time in case I had to linger. I made a detour to a nearby sports field to start with, hoping to see Australian Magpies but the only birds out and about were European Blackbirds and Song Thrushes so that was a waste of time. I never did see a Magpie today. On the way into town I added Black-backed Gull, Common Starling, House Sparrow and Feral Pigeon. Passing the gardens of the university I heard a Grey Warbler singing, and after a short search I saw Common Chaffinch and Grey Warbler (both species which were missed last New Years Day) as well as the day's first Tui.
I took my time walking around the harbour waterfront but there was little to see there (Red-billed Gull, Mallard, Variable Oystercatcher, Welcome Swallow and Little Pied Shag) - I was hoping to add Spotted Shag, maybe Fluttering Shearwater and Little Blue Penguin, but no.
At the train station I found there was a 7am express service to Waikanae which wasn't on the timetable, so that was good. On public holidays the trains tend to be replaced by buses, which are a bit slower and hence tend to miss the connections to the once-hourly buses at the other end. Getting there a bit earlier meant things worked out a lot better at the Waikanae end.
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On the ride north I spotted the only mammal of the day (European Rabbit), as well as Paradise Duck, Black Swan and Spur-winged Plover. A quick look at an Eastern Rosella flying away was welcome - they are common around the Wellington region but you can't rely on actually seeing one when you want to. Passing Pukerua Bay I saw Pied Shag and White-fronted Tern, and, unexpectedly, an Eastern Reef Heron which I thought I'd have to be looking for later at Island Bay.
I got to the Waimanu Lagoon (actually man-made ponds, I think) by the estuary at 8.30am. NZ Fantail, Pukeko, Canada Goose, NZ Scaup, NZ Shoveller, European Greenfinch, and (not counted) Feral Goose were all spotted quickly.
Passing Pied Stilts at the stream mouth, I headed along the length of the sand spit to the roost site for terns. There is a Little Tern and one or two Common Terns currently amongst the White-fronted Terns here, having been seen regularly over the last month or so. I couldn't spend too long and after half an hour I gave up on waiting for either of these species to return from the sea and headed off again. They were still around though (both species were seen later that day by others). I had to make do with adding Banded Dotterel, Caspian Tern and Black Shag to my list.
Royal Spoonbill and White-faced Heron were seen back at the stream mouth, and then I made another pass around the Waimanu Lagoon, finding Grey Teal and one Little Black Shag. I hoped to find Australian Coot and NZ Dabchick here too, in case they weren't at their regular spot on the other side of the reserve, but there were none to be seen.
I crossed the bridge further up-stream and headed into the more scrubby part of the reserve, seeing Waxeye, European Goldfinch and Yellowhammer as I went. At the Fernbird site a passerby stopped to ask if I was looking for them and said he had been walking this route for nine years and never seen one. They are indeed tricky, but it wasn't too long before I heard one calling. Fernbirds are quite big warblers which live low to the ground inside scrubby thickets. You usually only see them when they pop up to the top of a branch to sing. I waited a little bit and was lucky enough to see one Fernbird briefly flying across the top of the scrub.
The pond at Takahe Drive provided the expected Australian Coot but unfortunately no NZ Dabchick. I only had a little time before the next bus back to the station (they are only once-hourly), so nipped to a spot where I could see across to the tern roost - still no Little Tern (and I wouldn't have been able to distinguish a Common Tern from that distance) but there was a NZ Dotterel foraging along the water's edge - and just as I was almost at the bus stop a Sacred Kingfisher made an appearance.
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On the way back to Wellington some NZ Pigeons were seen. Once back in town I caught the bus round to Zealandia. I usually go here in the morning when it first opens - fewer people and probably more active birds. Now it was about 1pm. The birds did seem more difficult to find but that may have been random chance. Kaka were the first "new" birds seen for the day, followed by Californian Quail. I waited by one of the nectar feeder stations (where the feeders are inside mesh cages to exclude the aggressive Tui but allow access for the smaller Bellbirds and Stitchbirds), marvelling at the visitors who see the feeding station and see someone clearly sitting there waiting for birds to come to the station, and simply walk right up to it and peer into the cage as if expecting a bird to be sitting inside. Once there was a break in the idiots a Bellbird came to the feeder, followed not long after by a Stitchbird.
Elsewhere there were NZ Robin, Whitehead, Saddleback, and Dunnock. I managed to find some Riflemen as well, which are tricky to track down because they are so small and sneaky. On the way out I made sure I stopped by the Takahe, although I don't count these ones on my lists (they are pair contained within a fenced area and all their food is provided, so I can't count them as wild - although most Wellington birders do). I was expecting to see Brown Teal and I think the reason I didn't was just the time of day (they are primarily nocturnal, so I usually see them still active in the mornings). I also checked out the top dam in the long shot of there being dabchicks (there were not). Red-crowned Kakariki were also missed, although I did hear one chattering somewhere back in the trees.
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Next destination was the Korokoro Dam where there were Tomtits and also the possibility of Yellow-crowned Kakariki. Last year I went to the Keith George Memorial Park for Tomtit, which requires a 40 minute train ride and then a twenty minute walk. The Korokoro Dam track, conversely, is a ten minute train ride followed by a ten minute bus ride, and the bus stop is almost right at the entrance to the track.
I had never been here before. The forest is magnificent. Huge forest trees, nikau palms everywhere, and great masses of kiekie. No birds though. I mean, there were some birds but mostly it was just quiet. However, it wasn't long before I found a NZ Tomtit. I completed the loop track in the hope of kakariki but none were seen. I did find a native giant earthworm trying to cross the track, the length of my forearm without even being fully extended, and that was better than seeing a kakariki.
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Final part of the day was to be spent on the coast at Island Bay, in particular on the beach-track round to Red Rocks where I "always" see NZ Pipit. I got there at 8pm - it doesn't get dark until 9pm so still plenty of day left. I guess pipits go to bed early though, because there were none. And there were no birds out over the ocean either. It was windy, lots of waves, no seabirds. I did see a couple of Reef Herons flying past, so at least if I hadn't seen the one at Pukerua Bay I would have seen them here. However I had been expecting some shearwaters and albatrosses, gannets, something.
The Tomtit turned out to be the final bird for the day. I got back home at 10pm, where the resident Morepork was calling but remained invisible as usual.
Some birds I expected to see during the day but didn't: Australian Magpie, Australian Harrier, Skylark, Ringneck Pheasant, NZ Dabchick, Red-crowned Kakariki, Brown Teal, NZ Pipit, any tubenoses or Australasian Gannet.
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BIRDS:
1) European Blackbird Turdus merula
2) Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
3) Southern Black-backed (Kelp) Gull Larus dominicanus
4) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
5) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
6) Feral Pigeon Columba livia
7) Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
8) Grey Warbler Gerygone igata
9) Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
10) Red-billed Gull Larus novaehollandiae
11) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
12) Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
13) Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
14) Little Pied Shag Microcarbo melanoleucos
15) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
16) Black Swan Cygnus atrata
17) Spur-winged Plover Vanellus novaehollandiae
18) Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
19) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
20) Eastern Reef Heron Egretta sacra
21) White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
22) Pied Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
23) Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) Porphyrio melanotus
24) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
25) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
26) Australasian Shoveller Anas rhynchotis
27) European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
28) White-headed (Pied) Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus
29) Banded Dotterel Charadrius bicinctus
30) Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
31) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
32) Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
33) White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae
34) Grey Teal Anas gracilis
35) Little Black Shag Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
36) Waxeye Zosterops lateralis
37) European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
38) Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
39) Fernbird Bowdleria punctata
40) Australasian Coot Fulica atra
41) New Zealand Dotterel Charadrius obscurus
42) Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus
43) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
44) Kaka Nestor meridionalis
45) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
46) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
47) Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta
48) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
49) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
50) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
51) Hedge Sparrow (Dunnock) Prunella modularis
52) Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris
53) New Zealand Tomtit Petroica macrocephala
MAMMALS:
1) European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
