Spoonbills and white heron Jan 2009
Weather forecast for the West Coast has come under some debate this past week, as tourists have been steered away from potential rain. Although rain, and heavy rain, has been mysteriously forecast to appear, we’ve just had two weeks of brilliant warm sunny days. We’ll let the photos of the past week speak for themselves, and if you’re looking for a proper forecast for anywhere in New Zealand, we recommend you try www.metvuw.com/forecast.
Heron and Southern Alps Jan 24, 2009Okarito and Southern Alps Jan 2009
Spoonbills in morning light Jan 24 2009
Exploring the rainforest in the sunshineWhite heron in morning light Jan 24 2009
If you have any questions regarding our trips and the weather, please feel free to email or call us at anytime. The weather can vary tremendously from even as close as 27 kilometers away in Franz Josef. We look forward to seeing you in some Okarito sunshine!
Summer is definitely here and we’ve had some beautiful calm sunny mornings this past week – early trips definitely reward with mountain views, calm waters and great bird life. Swade took these photos the other day on a morning trip – the Southern Alps with Mount Cook and Tasman, and of course our favorites the Royal Spoonbills enjoying the early morning light.
Okarito Lagoon and the Southern Alps
Early morning light and royal spoonbills
Another of our favourites would have to be the Tui’s. These birds are opportunistic feeders with nectar their main source of nourishment, although they do also eat insects. They love the plentiful nectar that the native flax plant offers, and have been feasting here in Okarito. You can see them nearly anywhere in the village and diving across the forest waterways on the lagoon. Distinguishable by their puffy white throat feathers, they look nearly all black from a distance, but seen in the right light, actually have a beautiful green and blue/purple sheen to them. Their songs are absolutely magical, with such a variety of calls and notes you would think you’re listening to a group of different birds. They actually have two voice boxes and besides all the sounds you can hear, they make many sounds higher pitched than the human ear can distinguish. Just a fabulous week for watching, photographing and listening to these unique birds!
Tui in song
Tui feeding on flowering flax
