Would like to know about bird locations

[SomesBirder]

I would like to know if anyone could tell me where they have seen any of these bird species in the North Island, and if possible, how often they have seen the birds in these places. Please note I do not wish to hear of any information from bird guides; I want to hear about where users saw these birds. Stuart Chambers' guide is not very helpful.

-Cattle Egret (Preferably South of Wanganui)
-Cape Barren Goose
-Tufted Guineafowl
-Glossy Ibis (Preferably South of the Ahuriri estuary)
-Sanderling
-Hudsonian Godwit; Black-tailed Godwit (Preferably South of the Auckland Isthmus)
-Little Whimbrel
-Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
-Any feral species that are not recognized as being established in the wild

[Davidthomas]

Out of that list i know of a few reliable places where they have been seen so i will put them here irrespective of your bracket south of and hopefulyl someone else who knows more will provide better info!

Cattle Egret : Quite good near huntly and along the waikato river around Ngaruawahia. Also recently some were seen on Lake Elesmere in Chch area.
Glossy Ibis : Whangamarino Wetland had a resident one on Island Block Road was readily accessable and viewable for a few months unsure if it is still there
Sanderling : Was one at little Waihi earlier in the year but beyond that im unsure.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo : Apparently along the Kapiti coast there is a colony of half a dozen or so, im unsure of exact location etc.

Sorry im not the most use but it will atleast give some ideas

[Studio Pajaro]

Hi SomesBirder,
I saw Cockatoos in the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland last September. It was near the Te Henga Swamp at the Forest and Bird Matuku Reserve. The first time was a single bird, then the next time there was a flock of maybe 8-10. The Photo shows some of them. I will have to go back and see if they are still around. They were very noisy so quite easy to locate.
Cheers,
Wade

IMG_7595.JPG (217.41 KiB) Viewed 4066 times

[Byrd]

is the question so you know where to go look for the species (e.g. you'd be out of luck with Cape Barren goose), or are you just interested in where people have seen birds specifically (i.e. sort of relating to your muscovy duck thread)?

[David Riddell]

Back in 2009 we came across a pair of sulphur-crested cockatoo near the turnoff to Poplar Rd, Raumati South, on the hillside east of the highway. I gather they're normally further east, up in the hills somewhere, but I don't know the area well.

I saw the Whangamarino glossy ibis in January 2012, but have been back several times and not seen it, and don't know of any sightings since then.

The best place for the cattle egrets in the vicinity of Huntly these days is up at the end of Horahora Rd, which runs north-west from the Rangiriri bridge on the western side of the river. They're often a paddock or two back from the road and can be quite flighty though.

[Mxyzptlk]

Cattle Egret: Wairoa River [I have never managed to locate the Rangriri ones despite many visits; there are comprehensive records of NI sightings on this blog that a search will quickly turn up.]

Tufted Guineafowl: Wairakei, Auckland City parks, Kaipara

Glossy Ibis: Miranda, Waikare wetland

Hudsonian Godwit: Miranda

Black-tailed Godwit: Miranda

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: Port Waikato-Puekawa [long established highly mobile flocks]; Waitakere Ranges [long established highly mobile flocks];

[sav]

Please note I do not wish to hear of any information from bird guides; I want to hear about where users saw these birds.

Not sure why you would not want to hear from bird guides ??- some of us are just birders too....
I assume you want to know where to look for these species with some degree of certainty, and as near to Wellington as possible.
Cattle Egret - not heard of them yet, but every winter for many years have been on Whangaehu River just your side of Wanganui. There will be some in the Levin/Manawatu area somewhere - eg L Horrowhenua a little while ago.
CB Goose - the only established birds are at St Annes Lagoon in Canterbury.
Guineafowl - incredibly hard to prove any are actually feral.
Glossy Ibis - a rare bird in NZ. Manawatu Estuary yesterday though. The Whangamarino bird was a relatively short stayer.
Also Blenheim and Christchurch.
The 4 shorebirds are all vagrants. Sanderling last at Little Waihi, both Godwits at Miranda in past 12 months, only 2 Little Whimbrels in last 15 years.
SC Cockatoo - Pohangina Valley north of Ashhurst.

[Byrd]

Please note I do not wish to hear of any information from bird guides; I want to hear about where users saw these birds.

Not sure why you would not want to hear from bird guides ??- some of us are just birders too....

I think he means books

[kbilly]

I often see Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at Ark in the Park in the Waitakere Ranges.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

I often see Sulphur-crested Cockatoo at Ark in the Park in the Waitakere Ranges.

Saw a couple there tonight, at the end of Falls Rd. Apparently there are up to 28 there. South from Port Waikato is good, and I've also seen them near Whatawhata between Raglan and Hamilton.