Brown Teal in Morrinsville
Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:33 pm
Since becoming a father my "birding" has more or less consisted of driving to work and snooping around urban Morrinsville. Once a fortnight though I try to make a visit to the Morrinsville sewage lagoons (just southeast of town) as it's virtually the only place nearby where something different might show up. As far as inland small town poo ponds go, it's generally fairly productive with around 20 species per visit including around 80 Grey Teal (Generally the most numerous bird present). For more detail: https://ebird.org/newzealand/hotspot/L3508296
Earlier in the year I was excited to find a lone Banded Dotterel, a rare bird on the ground in the central Waikato. My hope is to one day find a snipe here as the habitat is ideal. Anyway, finally cracked 40 species for the site in style with a lone Canada Goose (Woo!), followed by a single BROWN TEAL, then a singing Shining Cuckoo.
As far as I can tell (Looking on eBird and racking by brain), this is the only recent record of a Brown Teal in the central Waikato. Does anyone know of any from the past few decades in the central North Island away from the Tuakau/Firth of Thames/Maketu areas? Hopefully it survives long enough to carry on its adventure!
Russ C
Morrinsville, NZ
p.s. PM me for details on accessing this location
Earlier in the year I was excited to find a lone Banded Dotterel, a rare bird on the ground in the central Waikato. My hope is to one day find a snipe here as the habitat is ideal. Anyway, finally cracked 40 species for the site in style with a lone Canada Goose (Woo!), followed by a single BROWN TEAL, then a singing Shining Cuckoo.
As far as I can tell (Looking on eBird and racking by brain), this is the only recent record of a Brown Teal in the central Waikato. Does anyone know of any from the past few decades in the central North Island away from the Tuakau/Firth of Thames/Maketu areas? Hopefully it survives long enough to carry on its adventure!
Russ C
Morrinsville, NZ
p.s. PM me for details on accessing this location