22 March 2011

Seabirding…. While there are birders who live for this sometimes hellish pursuit, the idea of seabirding is daunting to most average birders.

A Cook's Petrel in the Hauraki Gulf.

The entire process can be frustrating; you bash through swell for hours, hoping seasickness won’t strike, before arriving where the birds supposedly ‘are’. You then watch distant grey, brown and white dots rocketing past while trying to steady your bins against the swell. Invariably some expert effortlessly declares them to be this or that species while you scratch your head and stare at the field guide, wondering how they did it!

It’s a shame that seabirding isn’t easier, because there are some truly spectacular experiences to be had on the open seas. Where else can you see the impressive Wandering Albatross arcing across the water, or experience the excitement of a Pterodroma petrel stealthily approaching the boat for a quick look, before melting away across the endless ocean. There is also the element of unpredictability; seabirds seem even less constrained by their distribution maps than most birds, and you never really know what might turn up.

Over Christmas this year I was lucky enough to guide a birding tour to New Zealand, and I have finally found the answer to everyone’s seabirding problems. Take a trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud! Nowhere else in the world is excellent seabirding so accessible or easy, with trips perfect for the novice seabirder. You are all but guaranteed a good trip list, and you’ll spend more time on the boat birding than simply ploughing through water to get there. In particular there are two must-do trips, each unique for their own reason.

The first is the famed trip out of Kaikoura on the north-east coast of the South Island. Run daily by Albatross Encounters, these trips offer incredible seabirding because the continental shelf is so close to the mainland. The shelf creates upwelling which brings food to the surface, and so becomes a focal point for seabird activity.

Wandering Albatross at Kaikoura, with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks.

With impressive snow-capped mountain ranges in the background, you can be almost assured of seeing both the great albatross, Wandering and Royal Albatross, plus Salvin’s and White-capped Albatross (the NZ race of Shy). On my trip in early January, we had seen all four within 20 minutes of leaving the dock, including two races of Wandering, and both Northern and Southern races of Royal. Buller’s and Black-browed Albatross are common in the winter, while year round a variety of other seabirds abound. We recorded White-chinned, Westland, Northern Giant, Cape and Great-winged Petrels, Buller’s, Sooty, Flesh-footed and Hutton’s Shearwaters, plus Fairy Prions.

The best part is that this trip only goes for two hours; I have done trips in Australia that go for a day and don’t record as many species! That makes it great for those without their sea legs. There is nothing worse than getting sea sick an hour into a pelagic trip that you know has ten hours to go. At Kaikoura it takes only minutes to get to the edge of the shelf, where after some chumming, the birds roll in. They come within metres of the boat looking for an easy feed, and there is plenty of time to observe the birds at close range, picking up some of the finer points required for identification. I will never forget the sight of the immense Wandering Albatross arriving with wings fully spread, while Northern Giant-Petrels scattered like ten pins to get out of its way. The continual grunting and fighting of the birds is also entertaining.

The recently rediscovered New Zealand Storm-petrel.

If you think albatross are graceful, wait till you see them fight over a scrap of shark liver. All this within minutes of the harbour – you can check-in at 9am, rack up an incredible list of seabirds, and be back in time for lunch!

The second must-do pelagic trip in New Zealand explores the Hauraki Gulf, north-east of Auckland. The gulf is ringed by a series of islands and rocky stacks, a mecca for breeding seabirds, and this trip focuses on seeing them. Usually running for a day and organised by Pterodroma Pelagics, these trips don’t occur as frequently as the Kaikoura trips and tend to run from October to April. We did this trip in January also, but only for a half day – the full day trip adds even more species to an already impressive list.

Within minutes of leaving the harbour we started to encounter seabirds, as Fluttering Shearwaters scattered from the front of the boat, while the first of many Cook’s Petrels sliced across the gentle swell. At our first chumming location we attracted at least ten White-faced Storm-Petrels, dancing like ballerinas across the surface. We were waiting for one species though, and as a small black-and-white bird came arcing in, the shout of ‘Storm-Petrel’ rang out. Shutters clicked furiously as we watched the first of several New Zealand Storm-Petrels arrive. Known from only three specimens collected in the 19^th century, the New Zealand Storm-Petrel was ‘rediscovered’ in 2003 and can now be seen regularly in the Hauraki Gulf. Where the birds breed is still a mystery, but it seems likely to be one of the many nearby islands. At our next stop we soon picked up Black Petrel which breed on Little Barrier Island, before heading home with the last new species a Common Diving-Petrel fluttering low over the water. An incredible six hours of seabirding.

So, over two trips and only eight hours spent on boats, we racked up nearly 25 species of truly pelagic seabird (gannets, gulls and terns not included). Compare that to the day list for any of the Australian trips! While it is quite understandable that seabirding isn’t for everyone, if you want to try it, New Zealand is a great place to start. Instead of being uncomfortable, boring and unrewarding for the novice seabirder, both these trips offer an exciting opportunity to get hooked on what can be a most enjoyable hobby.