Rock Wren, Otira Valley

[tim]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has had any recent sightings post march for Rock Wren up the Otira Valley.
I have tried about 7 times post lockdown with some ideal conditions that should have brought them down to the valley with lots of snow on the tops of the valley and even snow in the valley on some trips but still no success, is there only one pair hanging on up there now as on my last few trips over the years I normally have a 100% success rate on finding them but recently the past year I haven't had much luck.

I have seen quite a few weka now up the valley and the odd falcon too.
On some of the trips I have done I have bumped into other birders with the same story so are they doing pretty bad up there at the moment?

I can hear them no problems and November is normally the best month I have found to see them but no luck with checking all the usual areas in the upper valley.

Thanks
Tim

[Dave H]

We did 2 trips up there in the last week and didn't see or hear one.

Harry and Jesse went up again a couple of days ago and also didn't hear or see one

[Adam C]

There were 2 there last Summer. Think we were up there in late Feb/early March.

[Adam C]

Actually, I remember now (having just checked my ebird record) we had an adult bird with an assumed juvenile and could hear another calling while observing these 2 so recorded 3 birds on the 7th March. looks like somebody else got 1 bird on the 13th and that was the last record before Winter.

[Oscar Thomas]

Adult pair seen this morning about 1km beyond the bridge (30mins walk) after what seems to be a long absence! Will be trying again tomorrow around 1:30pm after a night in Hawdon Hut.

[Ian Williams]

Had a good look for them yesterday afternoon in good conditions with no luck.Went well up the valley but stopped short of the basin right at the top.

[georgie]

Great to see a rockwren and hear another just past the footbridge yesterday https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S97 ... rgeSuccess . I heard another about 15 minutes further up but couldn’t sight it, and none seen or heard at the rock garden about 40 minutes beyond bridge.