WAIKAWAU: A FEW OF THE BIRDS.

In the past shags must have been a notable feature of Waikawau as the name roughly translates, for a non-Maori speaker, as Shag Water. Pied Shags are still to be found here today but not in the numbers the name might suggest.

Southern black backed gull

Red billed gull

Caspian tern

But Waikawau will have seen a fair number of changes since first it was named. There is however a great variety of bird life to be found.

NZ pipit

The dunes and pastures are host to a number of species. Some are native to NZ, others introduced by man and some have recently arrived from Australia.

The White Faced Heron first bred in NZ in 1941.

The very noisy Spur Winged Plover only made it to the N.I. in 1973. Both birds are now very common through most of NZ.
Out to sea there are birds in great numbers. They become very obvious when they congregate to feed over a "boil up" of fish.

White fronted terns

The Gannets and White Fronted Terns are easy to spot. Amongst them though are the less visible darker coloured Mutton  Birds. Sometimes you can also see Skua. These are birds that have to steal their food as they cannot catch it. They are usually seen at a great distance but are identifiable by their behaviour. Skuas cooperate in the aerial pursuit of a single bird, often a tern, until it is so hassled it has to regurgitate its catch.
On the beach other birds are found.

The Variable Oystercatcher .

and the endangered N.Z. Dotterel both nest here.

In the winter a cousin of the latter, the Banded Dotterel can also be found in groups of a dozen or so.

The best place to look for these is in the estuary region, also home of Pied Stilts.

Waikawau is always a great place to be and its birds make it just that little bit more special.

Bar-tailed godwits