Eastern bar-tailed Godwits at Okarito

Although we had heard of godwits returning to Christchurch a few weeks ago, we hadn’t seen them yet on the Lagoon, until last week.  A large grouping of them swooped overhead and landed on the flats nearby – good to see them back!

Winter on the West Coast is generally much warmer than the central South Island, or east coast.  We are now enjoying beautiful sunny days and very still calm waters.  Our wonderful weather has also provided us with gentle seas and a walk along Okarito Beach rewarded us with sighting two Hector’s Dolphins feeding very close into shore.

The birdlife is great as many of the forest birds come down to lower areas as the snow and colder weather creeps down the mountains.  There is a lot of fantail and fernbird activity in and around the village and in the forest waterways of Okarito Lagoon, as well as bellbirds and countless silvereyes.

On the water we are seeing white herons feeding – these birds will likely be with us year round now.  One in particular is a regular around the historic Wharf where our trips depart from.  He seems quite happy to have his photo taken!

Winter in Okarito is a blissfully quiet and serene time to visit.  Our regularly scheduled trips can be customized to suit your itinerary, so feel free to drop a line or inquire about accommodation and boat tour specials as well.  We look forward to your company in Okarito!

The Royal Spoonbills are our favorites! They are animated birds, usually in groups as they are quite sociable, unlike the white heron which is far more territorial.  You can often view them at close quarters these days as we enter the Okarito River channel, just before going into the rainforest.  A group of usually five have taken up a particular tree washed down the river in a flood as their resting area between tides and feeding.  They tend to be habitual birds, so hopefully we will continue to see this group throughout the summer months.

Royal Spoonbills at Okarito River

The weather here on the coast has been spectacular these past few days, and although we may have a wet spell tomorrow, the rest of the week is looking fine. 

 The flax flowers are becoming much more apparent and, being a predominant food source for the tui’s, these birds are really putting on some shows in the forest for us with their fast flying manoevres and complex calls.  They actually have two voice boxes and can make sounds too high pitched for us to even hear.  Tui’s breed in September and October and some of the young should be getting ready to test their wings. 

You can see the best of both wading and forest birds on our two hour Nature Tours – hope to see you soon!