NZ Falcon in Pukekohe CBD

[David Lawrie]

Last evening I escaped from my bubble and went into the office to pick some more files, yes I am still working from home!!!
Just before 5pm I was outside the back door in Lodge Street in Pukekohe, opposite McDonalds, when I saw a bird flying directly at me. I quickly saw that it was carrying something in its feet, and I thought it had something around its legs. But as it got closer, eventually passing 8m over my head, I realised it was a NZ Falcon with his supper. One of the thousands of birds that congregate in the trees along the road frontage.
The bird flying slowly with the tail fully fanned allowing excellent but fleeting view.
Not bad for my office list!!!
David

[Colin Miskelly]

Nice record David - I have never seen a falcon north of the Bombay Hills. I started my birding in Auckland (1976-80), but did not get to see a falcon until I moved to the South Island - and even then it took a few years (they were a bogie bird for me).

Your final comment about this being a nice addition to your office list prompted me to look into how many eBird falcon records there are for 169 Tory St, Wellington (my office), and the adjacent Pukeahu War Memorial Park. The status of falcons in Wellington is very different to Auckland, and this is reflected in the 26 'office' records between 2012 and 2020. The number of sightings per annum 2012 to 2019 has been 1, 0, 1, 2, 0, 7, 6 & 9, suggesting that falcon status has changed from transient to resident in central Wellington in recent years. There has only been a single office record so far for 2020 - an ironic negative 'impact' from the COVID lockdown, as I have not been in the office to notice them. The falcons will still be there, and I suppose I could claim the bird that someone photographed in Cuba St, 400 m away, which was touted as evidence of birds reclaiming the city!

Ngā mihi
Colin

[bombaydave2]

I live in Bombay and work in pukekohe. See Falcons evèy week for last couple of months. Observed a female eating a feral pigeon in large tree near puke high school on Thursday. A single falcon has been hanging around bracu olive estate for last 3 months.