marsh crake Pekapeka

[Wandoona]

I have photographed ( terrible shots I might add ) marsh crake on 2 occasions and spotless crake once at this incredible wetland. It’s worth a look off the main highway south of Hastings.

[Brent Stephenson]

Nice one John. Those are great records!
Cheers,

[Wandoona]

Preview: Pekepeka marsh crake
They are in the wetland swamp area below the car park. I’ve seen them from the walkway over the back by the railway and also from the land track under the car park. They are cryptic as hell.

[jimmifinn]

I visited the Pekapeka Wetland this afternoon. Had a good clear sighting of a Spotless Crake from the land track below the carpark. Through a gap in the Raupo reeds, it ran across a thick weedmat. Nice clear view but it was to quick for me to get a photo. Earlier I had heard another Spotless Crake call from the Raupo by the walkway at the rear, near the railway line. I couldn't see or hear a Marsh Crake during the two and a half hours I spent at the wetland, but there's always tomorrow!.

[sav]

I visited the Pekapeka Wetland this afternoon. Had a good clear sighting of a Spotless Crake from the land track below the carpark. Through a gap in the Raupo reeds, it ran across a thick weedmat. Nice clear view but it was to quick for me to get a photo. Earlier I had heard another Spotless Crake call from the Raupo by the walkway at the rear, near the railway line. I couldn't see or hear a Marsh Crake during the two and a half hours I spent at the wetland, but there's always tomorrow!.

Hey,

Try the early morning. Brent and I had at least 8 Spotless and 2 Baillon's Crakes there a week or so ago, from about 07.30 to 0830.

cheers

[Brent Stephenson]

Just sit down on the boardwalk and the spotless will come out and feed on the mud within 10m of you. Adults tend to be more settled than the juveniles which tend to sprint around the place.

Yellow circle location of good spotless crakes, blue where a juvenile spotless and several marsh crakes were seen.

Early morning is best, by 0930 they start to skulk a bit more.

Screen Shot 2021-03-24 at 09.13.55.png (7.02 MiB) Viewed 1967 times

Cheers and good luck,

[jimmifinn]

Thanks Brent. I went down at 8.00am this morning. Checked near the sites you circled. There was a photographer at your blue circle who had seen two Spotless and Marsh Crake 15 minutes before I arrived. Didn't want to spoil his birding so I went and sat on the dirt path at the top of your heart shaped image (just below the carpark). Found a Spotless Crake at 9.30am with good photo ops. Now I just have to spot a Marsh Crake and I can go back to Wanganui happy!

Jim Norris

[Brent Stephenson]

Great - nice shot! Glad you got onto them, the Marsh crakes tended to be more distant for me, try that blue circled area. Looking south-west along the boardwalk they were on the right hand-side. Off in a gap in the rap about 15-20m way, at least 2 of them seen.

Good luck,
Brent

[jimmifinn]

Many thanks, Sav and Brent. You both provided great advice that was productive. I went back to Pekapeka this evening and sat in Brent's site, recommended with the blue circle. Saw two Marsh Crakes and a Spotless Crake. One of each species was in the gap in the Raupo that Brent refers to. I got a reasonable couple of photos considering it was 6.41pm wiith light fading fast. Two birds I haven't seen before. I saw another Spotless Crake scapa from under the boardwalk in the yellow circle as I left at 7.00pm.
Thank you both for your great help.

Jim Norris

[wghabbott]

I had short views of both species on Friday 2nd April before 9 am.