Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Bird sighting information. Use this forum to report bird sightings (especially rare and unusual birds), census and field count results, and trip reports. Messages posted to this forum will also be sent as a plain text email to the BIRDING-NZ newsgroup.
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Mon Mar 26, 2018 10:29 pm

1 pied phase otago shag at Ashburton rivermouth amongst a roost of 7000 spotted shag at dusk tonight.
Jim_j
Posts: 699
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby Jim_j » Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:27 am

Hi Andrew
Can you confirm that's 7000 (not 700)?
That amount of shags flying in would be an impressive sight

cheers
jim
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:04 am

the actual count was 7180. I do monthly counts for Environment Canty and they peak at 6000-7000+ at this time of year. I think its by far the largest spotted shag roosting flock anywhere. Here's a pic of most of the flock.

Ash S shag roost.jpg
Ash S shag roost.jpg (156.02 KiB) Viewed 3149 times



And here's a pic (cell phone camera thru scope) of the Stewart Island Shag
Otago shag1.jpg
Otago shag1.jpg (123.3 KiB) Viewed 3149 times
Jim_j
Posts: 699
Joined: Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby Jim_j » Tue Mar 27, 2018 2:28 pm

Thanks - wow very impressive - yes must be surely the biggest congregation of the species left?
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:44 pm

There were 3 Otago Shags amongst c.7370 Spotted Shags at the roost at Ashburton Rivermouth this evening. These were 2 bronze phase birds and an adult pied phase (so birds different to the juv pied phase seen on my census last month).

A heads up to people visiting places that are night roosts for Spotted Shags on the Canterbury Bight coastline - eg; Timaru Harbour, Rangitata Rivermouth, Rakaia Rivermouth, etc. I reckon small numbers of Otago Shags now reach South and Mid Canterbury waters well north of the traditionbal limit about opposite Lake Ki-Wainono, and they can be potentially seen within a half hour or so of sunset when they join Spotted Shags at favoured night roosts. So, please have a look if anyone has a chance and report what you find?

Here' s some pics. Although the photos don't show it well, the pinkish legs and feet were very obvious under the brightness of the setting sun.


Otago Shag pied phase1.JPG
Otago Shag pied phase1.JPG (21.36 KiB) Viewed 2907 times


Otago Shag 3.JPG
Otago Shag 3.JPG (15 KiB) Viewed 2905 times


shag roost 1.jpg
shag roost 1.jpg (124.08 KiB) Viewed 2905 times
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:51 pm

another pic of the roost

DSCF3812.JPG
DSCF3812.JPG (422.64 KiB) Viewed 2906 times
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Thu May 17, 2018 8:00 pm

Five Otago Shags at the Ashburton rivermouth this evening amongst c.8130 Spotted Shags (a larger number than usual).
The Otago Shags were 1 ad pied phase, 1 imm pied phase and 3 imm bronze phase.
Also present, chasing W/F Terns offshore, were 2 late season Arctic Skuas.
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Sun May 23, 2021 6:56 pm

3 Otago Shags at Ashburton Rivermouth today amongst a flock of 10,000 Spotted Shags. A pretty impressive sight!! Spot the pied morph in the centre of this pic...... a small pin in a very big haystack. The other two were juv bronze phase birds.

23 May 2021 093.JPG
23 May 2021 093.JPG (451.53 KiB) Viewed 1487 times


Some views of the Spotted Shag roost...

23 May 2021 089.JPG
23 May 2021 089.JPG (319.48 KiB) Viewed 1487 times


The slightly larger white splot in the top right corner of the pic below is the Pied morph Otago Shag..

23 May 2021 105.JPG
23 May 2021 105.JPG (611.93 KiB) Viewed 1487 times
andrewcrossland
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby andrewcrossland » Sun May 23, 2021 7:01 pm

Otago 1.JPG
Otago 1.JPG (52.15 KiB) Viewed 1481 times
User avatar
AngryBird45
Posts: 226
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 10:50 am
Location: Waimakariri District, Canterbury
Contact:

Re: Otago (Stewart Island) Shag Ashburton rivermouth

Postby AngryBird45 » Mon May 24, 2021 8:51 am

I'm shocked at how few people have a Stewart Island Shag on their Canterbury Life List; Timaru's Inner Harbour is a really easy place to find one
133 birds on my life list since 17 June 2020, latest bird Common Tern.
93 birds on my 2024 year list as of 6:50pm 13 January, latest bird Indian Peafowl.

15 y/o birder from the Waimak and Paradise Shelduck campaigner: facebook.com/paradiseshelduck.

Return to “Bird Sightings and Alerts”