Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand


Wednesday 27th of September 2017 and I was just coming around the corner from\my hotel when I spotted some trees with red flowers. I went to investigate, of course, there was the House Sparrow. But I also saw many of the bird that I learned later on was the Silvereye or Wax-eye.

But no pictures, the bird was really jumpy. I hanged around trying to get the Silvereye on picture before I gave up. Turned out that the area is a smoking area at the school. I found this out while talking with the girls sitting on the benches smoking. No picture, but I was very very happy with my new glasses, what a difference. Well worth the 17000 Baht I paid for the glasses.

I left the school and I walked towards East. There is a walk path north of a soccer field towards something the call the Outdoor Gallery. There should be a pond according the the map I studied before coming here.

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Walk path, ponds and trees both North and South of the walk path

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
The pond and trees (Outdoor Gallery) south of the walk path

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Pond north of the walk path

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
House Sparrow in the tree

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
The pond and trees (Outdoor Gallery) south of the walk path

I walked along the tree line to the pond north of the walk path. There were several birds in the trees but I never went to investigate. I had asked about snakes, but no way will I walk in to the knee high grass. I could see Australasian swamphens all over the field.

And I also saw a very dark Kingfisher flying by. Unidentified, but it might have been a dark, almost black and might have been a Sacred Kingfisher.

I turned right and I walked down to the pond south of the walk path. I had been walking for a few meters when I ran in to a beautiful Goldfinch. But I never got any picture. I started to walk around the pond and I started to walk on the East side. After 50 meters or so I reached a tree and there were benches under the tree overlooking the pond.

I approached the bench looking like a big block cut out of a tree. I was just about to sit down when I heard a noise from the grass in front of the bench. I bird or a giant “ATTACK” frog?

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Goldfinch

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Place to sit down under the tree

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Place to sit down under the tree

New Zealand scaup, Aythya novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Scaup

I could see a couple of New Zealand scaups swimming in the pond. There were several Australasian swamphens around the pond as well. I continue to walk towards south and the “Adventure Land” or whatever it is they have there. Zip lines and people climbing on wires etc.

South side of the pond have a platform over the lake and there are more of the wooden blocks to sit on to look for birds, or just to enjoy the view of the pond and the surroundings. I continued towards the West side of the pond. There is a “ tongue ” sticking out in to the pond form the South side of the pond.

I went out to see if there were any birds, and just at the beginning of the “ tongue ” I spotted several Yellowhammers. The only place I saw them in the area. When I came out to the “ART WORK” at the tip of the tongue I scared a Pacific Black Duck family and they took off swimming out on the pond.

Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
View over the pond from the South side

Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, Gulsparv

Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, Gulsparv
Yellowhammer

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast

Common Blackbird, Turdus merula, Koltrast

Pacific black duck, Anas superciliosa

There were many birds looking like starlings. And they had babies, and the only reason I knew it was baby was because the adult bird was feeding the babies with worms and the babies looked smaller than the adults. The picture of the adult feeding the baby turned out to shit, DARN!

2 (TWO) hours of walking before I could get a picture of the Silvereye. I had been up in the NW corner of the pond taking pictures of the Australasian swamphen. I could come pretty close to the Australasian swamphen, all the other swamhens in the area had been very scared. I walk back to the South side and I ran in to a Song Thrush baby when I was sneaking around behind the bushes.

Quite a big bird, just walking out and the bird was just standing there looking at me, less than a meter away. Another bird came to feed the bird and then I understood that it was a baby. I missed the photo opportunity and I hanged around to see if I would get a chance again.

No more feeding and I left as I didn't wanted to disturb the young birds. I came around the bushes and I got the opportunity to finally get a picture of the Silvereye. And from now on there was no end to the opportunity the take pictures of the Silvereye.

Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus

Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
Australasian swamphen

Australasian swamphen, Porphyrio melanotus
Australasian swamphen

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush
The only way I could see that this was a baby was because an adult was feeding the baby. The baby looked to be bigger than the adult
Thank you to Phil at Wrybill Birding Tours for identification

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush
The only way I could see that this was a baby was because an adult was feeding the baby. The baby looked to be bigger than the adult
Thank you to Phil at Wrybill Birding Tours for identification

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush
The only way I could see that this was a baby was because an adult was feeding the baby. The baby looked to be bigger than the adult
Thank you to Phil at Wrybill Birding Tours for identification

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush
The only way I could see that this was a baby was because an adult was feeding the baby. The baby looked to be bigger than the adult
Thank you to Phil at Wrybill Birding Tours for identification

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush
The only way I could see that this was a baby was because an adult was feeding the baby. The baby looked to be bigger than the adult
Thank you to Phil at Wrybill Birding Tours for identification

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Outdoor Gallery
Adventure land

Outdoor Gallery
Adventure land

New Zealand fantail
New Zealand fantail

I walked North on the East side when I spotted several Silvereyes in a tree. There were also a very beautiful New Zealand fantail but the pictures never turned out any good. I walked back towards the walk path and I saw two Goldenfinches bathing on the north side of the pond.

There is a very small pond North of the big pond. I tried to take some pictures but the birds took off again. Well, I had been on the go for 3 hours and it will be 4 hours before I'm back at my room so I called it a day. And I started to walk back towards my hotel. Well, I really Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st hope I get another glimpse of the Goldenfinch next time on New Zealand.

Goldenfinch
Goldenfinch

Goldenfinch
Goldenfinch

Goldenfinch
Goldenfinch

I walk back along the tree line on the North side pond and there is a lot of birds, but they are very scared and take off before I can get any picture. I have seen 2 raptors during my afternoon birding and a whole lot of other birds so I was happy with today's bird watching. Almost all the birds I have seen is the first time for me so it had been exciting.

I was hungry after about 4 hours of walking around, and I have not had anything to eat since the breakfast on board Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore. There is a supermarket next to the hotel so I will stop to see if I can find any Pepsi MAX.

But first I stopped at the smoking area at the school to see if I could see any more birds. Song Thrush, Silvereyes and the House Sparrows. I walked around for a while before I crossed the street to go check out the Supermarket.

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

Silvereye or Wax-eye, Zosterops lateralis
Silvereye or Wax-eye

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gråsparv, นกกระจอกใหญ่

House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, Gråsparv, นกกระจอกใหญ่
House Sparrow

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Taltrast
Song thrush

To see the map in a full window click HERE

Pepsi MAX
Pepsi MAX

ibis budget Auckland Airport
ibis budget Auckland Airport

I found Pepsi MAX and I bought 6 cans and I bought 2 pack of smoked salmon for breakfast tomorrow before going to the airport. I walk back to my hotel to leave the stuff and my camera in the room. I will take a taxi to a shopping centre to see if I can find a restaurant. I book a taxi in the reception and we're soon on the way to Sylvia Park Shopping Centre.

I look for compression socks but I come up with nothing. I pass a restaurant but it looks like a Greek restaurant and I go in to the restaurant next door. Nothing interesting on the menu and I leave again. I pass the Greek restaurant and I see something about Istanbul. I go inside and it turns out to be a Turkish restaurant.

I ask if they have Baklava and when they say yes I decide to stay. Lucky me, the food was fantastic. Maybe the best Baklava I have ever had. And they had Earl Grey tea from a big tea pot. A perfect place and I was happy when I left.

Casablanca Cafe at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre
Casablanca Cafe at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre

Casablanca Cafe at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre
Dolma for starter

Casablanca Cafe at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre
Main course

Casablanca Cafe at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre
Baklava

Not easy to find a taxi so I booked a UBER car and we left Sylvia Park Shopping Centre bound for ibis budget Auckland Airport. I had asked for a wake-up call for 5 o'clock tomorrow morning. I thought my flight was leaving at 8 but I found out that departure time was 09:45. Good, I have some bonus time to enjoy Auckland.

Well, a few hours of birding in Auckland and tomorrow it is time to leave for Nadi on Fiji, click HERE to see how that goes. But I will start my day with smoked salmon and Pepsi MAX in my room, that is for sure. A healthy start of the day.


Birding/ Bird watching at Outdoor Gallery, Auckland Airport, New Zealand

       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
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.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

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.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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