New Zealand Part Two: An Island Sanctuary

On Thursday morning, we left Dairy Flat and began our next adventure to Tiritiri Matangi, a world-renowned conservation island. We took a ferry from downtown Auckland, a majestic ride with great views of the city skyline. Before boarding, everyone had to go through a station to ensure they were pest-free, a common practice throughout New Zealand to prevent the contamination of native habitats. Our fellow bird enthusiasts on the aft deck helped us spot Fluttering Shearwaters and our target seabird, the Australasian Gannet.

Tiritiri Matangi: A Conservation Success Story

It was raining when we arrived, so we were grateful to a volunteer who was selling ponchos. Each visitor was assigned a guide who shared the island’s incredible history. Originally settled by the Māori in the 1400s, Tiritiri Matangi was later a sheep and cow farm, which led to much of its native forest being cleared. Fortunately, a massive conservation effort began in the 1980s and 90s, where dedicated volunteers replanted native trees and relocated rare native birds to the island.

The results are astonishing. As we walked the trails, our guide coaxed a ground-dwelling New Zealand Robin out by gently kicking up some leaf litter. We also saw the common Tui, a bird known for its green-black plumage, white chin tufts, and boisterous song. A major highlight was seeing the Stitchbird, an endemic species of the North Island with an estimated population of only 2,000. Its successful relocation to the island is a testament to the power of conservation. The most interesting part of the tour was that the birds were so close you barely needed binoculars—unless you’re an avid birder! We learned that an unwelcome rat was recently captured on the island after being discovered by a clever system of PVC tracking tunnels with ink pads.

The most interesting part of the tour was that the birds were so close you barely needed binoculars—unless you’re an avid birder! We learned that an unwelcome rat was recently captured on the island after being discovered by a clever system of PVC tracking tunnels with ink pads.

We also saw the enormous New Zealand Pigeon and a family of Brown Quail, a bird that is becoming more common as predators are removed. We had our best views of the Sacred Kingfisher here, too.

After the tour, we had lunch near the Tiritiri Lighthouse, which was first lit in 1865. On the ferry ride back, the sun came out, and I caught a brief glimpse of a Little Blue Penguin, my first-ever penguin sighting! he sun was shining during the ferry ride back to Auckland, and we watched part of the Volvo Race Around the World, a yacht race held every three years.

A Birding Community and a Magical Finale

With only two days left, Mike still had a few business calls to make. We headed toward Marsden Point, a great birding area, but it was quite spread out. I decided to reach out to the Ruakaka Beach community on Facebook for help, and someone responded right away. While we didn’t find the Godwits or the rare Fairy Tern, it was a wonderful experience that highlighted the best of the birding community. We were amazed to see large numbers of South Island and Variable Oystercatchers, and we found an unexpected lifer, the African Collared-Dove, in the grass near the parking area. The Pied Shag, a black and white version of our Cormorant, was a personal favorite.

For our final night in the Northland, we stayed with our friend and business associate, Jeff Gibbs, in Whangarei. We met at the Town Basin Marina Village, where Jeff recommended Get Ready Roasted for takeout. The home-cooked lamb and potatoes were marvelous. After dinner, Jeff walked us to our accommodations in the Tree House, where he introduced us to the spectacular glowworms. When we turned off our headlamps, we were amazed to see the walls illuminated, like a starry night.

On our final morning, we took a walk on the one-mile boardwalk through Jeff’s property, spotting two new life birds: a Tomtit and an Australian Magpie. We also saw a fascinating stick insect. We can’t thank Jeff enough for his hospitality and for sharing his little piece of paradise with us.

Click here for a complete bird list from our trip to New Zealand. New Zealand Bird List

We tallied 67 birds in New Zealand, with 52 being life birds. We’ll have to add New Zealand to our re-bucket list because we didn’t see a Brown Kiwi, and I must see the glowworms again.

Next up: Ecuador