BIRDING NEW ZEALAND DAY 5: Stewart Island

Today was mainly to be a day of relaxing, however we had booked a Patterson Inlet wildlife cruise (again with Furhana of Ruggedy Ranges) as the weather was too calm for a pelagic to be productive. We first approached a group of red-billed gulls, kelp gulls and white-fronted terns hovering over the water, feeding on fish. Close inspection revealed some distant spotted shags, as well as several rafts of little blue penguins.

This little blue penguin was one of many we saw on the cruise

We then headed out to sea, past a lighthouse and towards Sarah's Cove. On the way, our skipper, Kevin, spotted a distant white-capped albatross. Using some fish Furhana had brought to attract birds, we managed to lure it near our boat. A second, juvenile white-capped albatross soon appeared and both birds gave us spectacular views.

The white-capped albatross is one of 3 species recently split from the shy albratross

You can tell this bird is an adult because its bill has a bright yellow tip

Though small for an albatross, white-capped albatrosses still have large wingspans

We then entered Sarah's Cove and watched for Fiordland crested penguins, though none were seen. On the way to the next site, a lifer Buller's albatross flew past the boat. The fish came in handy again, as we were able to lure it near the boat. The white-capped albatrosses from the previous feeding realised what was going on and also flew in.

A Buller's albatross flies past the Stewart Island coastline

The yellow-black bill and grey head show this bird is a Buller's albatross

The white-capped (left) and Buller's albatrosses (right) swimming together

Our next stop was a large rocky islet protruding from the sea and alive with birds. Two endemic spotted shags perched on one side of the rock, while a stunning Stewart Island shag scanned the sea from the top. White-fronted terns, kelp gulls and red-billed gulls were all perched atop the right-hand side of the rock. Finally, a white-throated phase little pied cormorant was drying its wings on the far end.

The spotted shag on the right's crest shows it has entered breeding phase

Though also found in Australia, the stronghold of the white-fronted tern is New Zealand

The white-throated form of the little pied cormorant is unique to New Zealand

The Stewart Island shag has two forms: the pied form (shown here) and a bronze form

Our second-last stop was the Snuggery, an area of Ulva Island where pied cormorants, little black cormorants and little pied cormorants breed. The area was alive with activity. Many of the large cormorant nests still held a chick. We even got to see some parents feeding their young by regurgitating into their throats.

The pied cormorant is another bird commoner in Australia than New Zealand

We cruised by the Bravo Islands looking for yellow-eyed penguin, but were not successful. We then returned to the island, where we relaxed for the rest of the day. The only event of note bird-wise was near dinner, when I observed a kelp gull trying to eat a sea star it had caught.

The kelp gull is abundant in New Zealand, but quite uncommon in Australia