Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
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David Riddell
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:46 pm

Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby David Riddell » Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:25 am

Sorry to hear about the blue duck being hit on the road up there, but if Dave and Oscar's dates are right I saw a pair just below the Pegleg Creek confluence after that, in October 2015. Though it does sound like they may no longer be there - no recent records on eBird I see. Very sad.
Jim_j
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Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby Jim_j » Thu Dec 20, 2018 2:52 pm

Definitely Wangapeka is your best bet in Nelson area - they are in Flora stream but bit more difficult to scramble down to. Wangapeka is one of Doc's recovery sites and has a really good population.
Cheers Jim
Jim_j
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Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby Jim_j » Thu Dec 20, 2018 3:09 pm

Actually just talked to my daugher who walked the Wangapeka a few months ago and they saw blue duck just a couple of minutes from the car park at Couthouse flat and many more further along.
Cheers Jim
Patrick Crowe
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Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:15 pm

Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby Patrick Crowe » Fri Dec 21, 2018 8:20 pm

Wangapeka definitely your best bet for around Nelson. Use to see a few pairs regularly in the few kms upstream from Siberia Campsite when working up there
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Adam C
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Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby Adam C » Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:17 pm

Thanks again all.
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
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Adam C
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Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 8:58 am

Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby Adam C » Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:16 pm

Found the Blue Duck up the Wanagapeka today. Not ideal as we had the extended family in tow :) but eventually tracked down a Female with 2 younger birds. Beautiful river and beautiful birds!
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
andrewcrossland
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Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
Location: Christchurch

Re: Arthurs Pass Blue Ducks

Postby andrewcrossland » Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:38 pm

I was up the Otira today - no sign of Blue Ducks on the river near the highway, nor above and below (in areas visible) of the 1st bridge.
Saw a Rock Wren though, not in the usual places on the big rocky screes 5 mins above the 1st bridge and 30 mins above the 1st bridge, but very luckily picked one up via 30 min of binoc scanning around the rocks at the base of the cliffs on the True Left side of the valley above the 1st bridge. The bird hopped up on the rock arrowed below, bounced around, then disappeared. If you are standing with river to your back, look a 11 O'Clock and you'll see the rock. I met a visiting UK birder on the walk up and another on the walk down, so hopefully other sightings will be reported, but generally summer is nigh on impossible for finding them and autumn/winter/s.pring is better when snow forces them down toward the river:

Otira.JPG
Otira.JPG (151.21 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

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