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Yesterday while checking the wetlands I noticed 2 small Grebes amongst the Scaup & Shovellers. They turned out to be Dabchicks. As I hadn't seen this species south of Lake Elterwater was quite surprised. The birds were still there today & photographed by Grant Davey. There was also 1 Juv Crested Grebe on this pond & 1 on the big lake by the bridge.

Cool - finally maybe a come-back in the South Island.

Cheers
Jim

Can you be more specific about the location please?

The Dabchicks were seen in the large pond at the north end of the wetlands. Can be accessed from Tiritiri Moana Dr. ( Sorry about the photo on its side, not to sure how to correct it)

Two dabchicks were still present this afternoon. Poor phone pics attached. Michael, the location screen shot is attached as well.

Ah so the far end of Pegasus wetlands. Cheers Richard, will try and check them out sometime in the next wee while. It’s a cool record and a bird I still need for canterbury

Doesn't everyone need Dabchick for their Canterbury list? It must be so long since they existed here, before colonisation even? It is starting to warm up a bit outside so Cirl Bunting hunting about to begin.....

The dabchicks were still present yesterday morning, great to see them this far south. We went to the Ashley river mouth afterwards. The highlight there was a bittern which flew over very close. We counted 9 bar-tailed godwits as well as 26 black-fronted terns.

Hi Jan

I doubt that any current birders had dabchick on their list before this recent sighting, but they were present during the colonial period. Barrie Heather summarised many of the records, including one in Canterbury Museum that was collected on Lake Ellesmere 100 years ago this month:

http://rare.birds.org.nz/files/documents/1XsLFGQRjv.pdf

Cheers
Colin

Thanks Colin, that's very interesting. Why did they die out in the S Is, are there any theories? Presumably not trout predation as eels would have been just as bad before trout were introduced. Must have been them stoats and weasels again....