Erect-Crested Penguin and Brown Skua in the Bay of Plenty

[erikforsyth]

Here is a picture from a recent sighting of an Erect-crested Penguin by Lizzie Thompson et all working on a Dolphin Seafaris trip out of Tauranga. This is an absolute Mega this far North and possibly the most Northerly record in NZ?


Yesterday, 18th April, Ken George and I went out and recorded,
18x Common Diving petrels
1x Black Petrel
20 Flesh-footed Shearwaters
30 Fluttering Shearwaters
1x Little Shearwater
1x Brown Skua a rare bird in the Bay of Plenty
I was out in early January 2024 and saw many Bullers Shearwaters, White-faced Storm petrels and a few Fairy Prions.

Dolphin Seafaris specializes in Dolphin watching and swimming excursions but will also stop to observe other wildlife activities such as pelagic seabirds and sharks! For Bay of Plenty birders this is a cost-effective way of possibly seeing and recording a few seabirds for their Bop lists. Here is the penguin photo. They are going to offering photographic tours this winter and there should be the odd albatross around.

Cheers
Erik

[Michael Szabo]

According to this Facebook post it was seen on 14 January.

[paradoxdinokipi]

Here is a picture from a recent sighting of an Erect-crested Penguin by Lizzie Thompson et all working on a Dolphin Seafaris trip out of Tuaranga. This is an absolute Mega this far North and possibly the most Northerly record in NZ?
You can see in the pic that the bird is moulting heavily.

Yesterday, 18th April, Ken George and I went out and recorded,
18x Common Diving petrels
1x Black Petrel
20 Flesh-footed Shearwaters
30 Fluttering Shearwaters
1x Little Shearwater
1x Brown Skua a rare bird in the Bay of Plentty
I was out in early January 2024 and saw many Bullers Shearwaters, White-faced Storm petrels and a few Fairy Prions.

Dolphin Seafaris specializes in Dolphin watching and swimming excursions but will also stop to observe other wildlife activities such as pelagic seabirds and sharks! For Bay of Plenty birders this is a cost-effective way of possibly seeing and recording a few seabirds for their Bop lists. Here is the penguin photo. They are going to offering photographic tour this winter and there should be the odd albatross around.

Cheers
Erik

ApparentIy there's been records in the North Cape & Whangarei asweII