Birding/ Bird watching at Western Springs in Auckland, New Zealand

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Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Saturday 29 ^th of October 2017 and it was gloom and grey for long as I could see looking out my window. So I was late leaving for Western Springs in a taxi. I stepped outside the taxi at 8o'clock and that will give me about 3 hours of bird watching before I will have to go back to town. I have a reservation at the Orbit 360° Dining on top of the Sky Tower at 11 thirty.

I got out of the taxi and I was in the Western Spring Park, plenty Black Swans, Mallards and the Australasian Swamphens. The Swamphens came running towards me, so they are obviously used to humans giving them food. We remember the dram back in September when I tried to get a picture of the Swamphen at the airport area.

In Western Springs it won'd be any problem to get a picture of the swamphen. Seems like I have ended up in th emiddle of the Auckland marathon. The park is full of people running with numbers on their shirts. People are even running with their baby carts. So I was busy trying not to get run down.

But it was a friendly marathon club and everyone said good morning so I had to get off the beaten track as I was busy saying good morning to everyone and I could not concentrate on the birding.

Western Springs

is a residential suburb and park in the city of Auckland in the north of New Zealand. It is located four kilometres to the west of the city centre, Auckland CBD. The park is situated to the north of State Highway 16 and the residential suburb is located southeast of the park on the opposite side of State Highway 16.

The suburb is dominated by the large park (featuring a lake with a variety of birdlife), within which are situated Auckland Zoo, Western Springs Stadium and M.O.T.A.T. (the Museum of Transport and Technology). The park is the location of the annual Pasifika Festival, one of Auckland's most popular public events.

Water birds
Western Springs Park has a wide variety of water birds, both native and introduced. Some of the water bird species that can be found in park include:

•Pied shag or karuhiruhi (locally common native)

•Little shag or kawaupaka (common native)

•New Zealand scaup or papango (uncommon endemic)

•New Zealand dabchick or weweia (uncommon endemic)

•Pukeko or purple swamp hen (abundant native)

•Australian coot (locally common native)

•Mallard duck (abundant European introduction)

•Domestic goose (common European introduction)

•Black swan (common Australian introduction)

•Grey duck or parera (common native)

•Paradise shelduck or putangitangi (common endemic)

•Red billed gull or tarapunga (abundant native)

•Black-backed gull or karoro (abundant native)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I started by walking on the south side of the big pond. Walking towards the west and I spotted many birds with babies. There were many of the Eurasian Coot. a very angry bird, the Coot attacked all the other birds if they came to close to their babies. The small bird even attacked big swans that got scared and escaped.

Two Eurasian Coots get on each other

Tail feathers raised, and you know the bird is angry

I even had one Coot attacking me, or well, he raised is feathers when he saw me and he came rushing. Two steps and the Coot realised that he was on thin ice and he laid down his feather again and he started to look for food. Looked quite funny watching the Coot bird.

Mallard

Female with babies

Mallard

Female with babies

Mallard

Female with babies

Mallard

Female with babies

Mallard

Female with babies

Black Swan

Black Swan

Black Swan

Australasian swamphen - Pukeko

Called Pukeko on New Zealand

It is a very beautiful park

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

Black Swan

Eurasian Coot

Mallard

Male in eclipse plumage

Mallard

Baby ducks

Eurasian Coot

Feeding the baby

Look at the feet, not normal Donald Duck swimming feet

Eurasian Coot

Feeding the baby

Look at the feet, not normal Donald Duck swimming feet

Eurasian Coot

Baby eating

Eurasian Coot

Baby eating

Eurasian Coot

Feeding the baby

Eurasian Coot

Feeding the baby

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Coot

It is a very beautiful park

It is mostly pond birds in the park, but I spotted a Grey Warbler in one of the trees, no pictures. I walked back towards East north of the pond. Many of the birds have babies and it is not like in North Europe where all the babies are in about the same size. Here there are birds sitting on eggs while some of the birds (Same species) have babies that are almost grown up, and everything in between. So it was interesting to be able to see all the different stages.

Must be the weather, in North Europe they only have a very few months to raise the babies so there is no time lolling around. Out with the eggs, sit on them and raid the babies before it is getting cold. Of course, this is only a theory I have so I might be proven wrong.

Anyway, I'm soon to turn thousand years old and I have never ever booked a table at a restaurant before. Now I have a reservation at the Orbit 360° at the Sky Tower in down town Auckland at 11 thirty. 11 thirty and I will make it to the whale watching boat in time if the weather is not improving. Then I'm off to the Gannet colony to look at the Gannets.

But I have given up the Gannets for today, looking up to the sky and there is nothing but gloom and grey and an annoying drizzle. Anyway, I could easily have spent the whole day here at the Western Springs taking millions pictures of the baby birds and the fighting birds. Now I will have to leave at 11 and the time is turning really quick here.

Walking in the parks in Bangkok and it is hot, very hot. But here it is very comfortable to walk around and I could have spent the whole day here, easily. I'm plunging down on the east side of the park when I heard the New Zealand Fantail. One of the few birds I had not been able to take any pictures of. So I was happy to see the Fantail

New Zealand fantail

New Zealand fantail

New Zealand fantail

New Zealand fantail

New Zealand fantail

New Zealand fantail

Oh man! Did I have a good time with these New Zealand Fantails? I played their song on my phone and the two of them came flying towards me like bullets from a gun. They were hoovering in front of my face and I had the chance to get some pictures. But they are not sitting still for long so it was hard. And they were too close for any photos many times. But I had a good time, and of course, time turned quick and I had to leave my two new friends, the New Zealand Fantails behind.

I walked on the South side of the pond working my way towards west. Stopping to chat with people and many of the people I talked to knew much about the birds. And I will stick out my neck again with another theory I have. New Zealand, no animals so there is nothing for the New Zealanders to learn about the animal. So they know everything about their birds, and they seem to be proud of their birds, many endemic to New Zealand.

And if you dare to say that they have the same bird in Australia you will soon learn that the New Zealand bird is a subspecies and not exactly the same. So it seems like they are proud over their birds.

Black Swan

Black Swan

Australasian swamphen

Called Pukeko on New Zealand

Paradise Shelduck

Paradise Shelduck

Eurasian Coot

Bird sitting on eggs in the nest

Eurasian Coot

Bird sitting on eggs in the nest

Female and male Paradise Shelduck

Male Paradise Shelduck

Baby Paradise Shelduck

Baby Paradise Shelduck

Baby Paradise Shelduck

Male Paradise Shelduck

Male House Sparrow

Mallard

Mallard

Mallard

Mallard

Mallard

Mallard

Mallard

Kelp Gull

Kelp Gull

Kelp Gull

To see the map in a full window click HERE

So, I leave Western Spring in a UBER car and we're soon in down town Auckland where I get off at the Sky Tower. I ask for direction and I have to go down in the basement to check in to the restaurant. Orbit 360° and another restaurant have the check in at the same place and from there I take the elevator up to the Orbit 360° restaurant. I got sick already in the elevator. The first seconds we're in the tower and you cannot see anything, but then there are openings in the concrete every few meters. And a glass bottom in the elevator.

Stepping in to the Orbit 360° and they give me a window table. I ask to sit away from the windows. But I discover that the restaurant is turning and I move to the window again. Orbit 360° and I was impressed, nice furniture and I'm sitting comfortable. Real porcelain and steel cutlery. Many places like this around the world they will serve you a week old sandwich from a service station. You will have to drink from paper cups and they charge you 100 Dollars.

Down to the basement

Checking in to Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

Excellent bread

One of the best steaks I have ever had

I just had to order a second steak

YUMMY!

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

We can see Auckland Domain and I decided to go birding there tomorrow

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

We can see Auckland Domain and I decided to go birding there tomorrow

View over Auckland from Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower

I had what might be the best steak I have ever had in my life. The bread was superb and the dessert with “extra” whipped cream was also 5 star. The steak was so good so I asked for a second one and I was really full when I left. But I felt good as it had been a very good meal. And of course, I had have a gorgeous morning at Western Springs.

I give 5 stars to the Orbit 360° Dining at Sky Tower in Auckland.
This is not a place you want to miss if you ever come to Auckland

Time to get down in the marina to catch the whale watching boat. Click HERE to find out if we find any whales, or sea birds. It might turn out to be an interesting whale watching cruise.

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