Wellington City biodiversity

[ledzep]

I've mentioned this before, but including again as the daily show is quite good. You don't need to go to Zealandia for a Kaka show. There is a free one daily at the Anglican Chinese centre on Tinakori road near the Botanic Garden main entrance around 5 pm. Always seems to be 8 - 12 birds doing gymnastics and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Visible from the road.

[Michael Szabo]

Not quite Wellington City but near enough. There was an interesting sighting of a Cirl Bunting yesterday on the coast in Seatoun, reported via iNaturalist:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/117982104

[ledzep]

I recall reports from a similar location last year or the year before. Went looking but didn't find them back then. Maybe regular visitors to that area in winter?

[CMKMStephens]

was fence-combing for a particular species of winter moth. Found a Red-crowned kākāriki with its tail feathers ripped out, bleeding, and mostly grounded (still flapping but couldn't fly) on the outside of the fence trying to get back in - it was trying to climb the fence with its beak.

Would this be cats, or perhaps ruru/morepork? Karori is ridiculously catty which is a poor fit for the eco-sanctuary!

677.JPG (307.58 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

675.JPG (459.26 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

671.JPG (432.07 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

[ledzep]

Good views of a Falcon around 8 am this morning from Garden Road as it was flying (not calling) above Northland near Tinakori Hill. Good to see that Falcons are still in the area.

[Oscar Thomas]

A little beyond the city limits, but it was lovely to see a pair of tomtits, 2+ whiteheads, a male bellbird and 1-2 yellow-crowned kākāriki on the Korokoro Dam loop in Wellington, plus the usual suspects and good numbers of tūī and pīwakawaka. An easy 90min walk in beautiful bush.

[ledzep]

Falcon flew over my head in Ngaio this morning, from Khandallah going south and circling over Huntleigh Park Way area and then heading towards the Skyline walkway and hills. Calling - initially harassed by a few Tui. Also Shining Cuckoo calling from the bush around Khandallah.

[Jim_j]

A Falcon heard then spotted mid-afternoon - "attacking" a B/B Gull 5 or 6 stories up at the intersection of Featherson/Lambton Quay near Willis Street today.
It was making the yaping call which I thought was the hunting call - but seemed to be more driving the gull away (there were about 3 gulls in flight) than actually trying to bring it down - but I only saw it for a few seconds before it was out of sight over the buildings.
Any chance of a nest at the top of one of the buildings...?

Cheers
Jim

[ledzep]

Good chance. Working in high-rise buildings in Wellington it is quite common for there to be Black-backed Gulls nesting on roof tops. And not always successful in rearing chicks. Conditions are not ideal and probably not predator free. Never seen a Falcon harassing them before, but good opportunity for it to do so.

[SomesBirder]

Not a rare species, but today in Courtenay Place I was interested to see a house sparrow weaving through the air with surprising tenacity as it pursued a small yellow flying insect, and the sparrow did eventually catch it. Though I couldn't tell whether the insect was a honey bee, a wasp, or a drone fly.