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French
Pass, D'Urville Island Wildlife report.
Seabirds;
Gannets are starting to feed with our winter pods of dusky
dolphins. Diving at speeds of up to 145km these magnificent
birds can regularly be seen gracing the airwaves. Fluttering
shearwaters are in good numbers and little diving petrels
are being seen more regularly.
King shag
one of the rarest seabirds in the world are passing by later
in the morning and earlier in the evening as they fly to their
feeding grounds.
Reef heron,
spotted shag, white fronted and Caspian tern, oyster catcher
and fluttering shearwater, along with blue penguin are all
working the waterways for food.
The rarest
sighting this year has been a white capped noddy fishing with
gulls, terns and shearwater.
Birds;
The New Zealand Falcon is common to Elmslie Bay French Pass.
Three are regularly seen. Some locals had the good fortune
of having one fly in front of their vehicle and land nearby
where it stayed for over 15 minutes.
Yellow
crowned parakeet, tui, South Island robin, bellbird, morepork
and pigeon can all be seen at close quarters on the Chetwood
Islands.
Dolphins;
bottlenose are regularly passing through working back and
forth through the French Pass. Shane Boulton drew six close
to shore by tapping two stones together underwater. Several
pods of winter dusky dolphins have been sighted along the
east coast of d'Urville and on occasion on the outer Chetwood
island.
Seals;
are now swimming regularly in Elmslie Bay French pass and
can be seen from the village as the young pups move to the
local haulout areas.
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