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"Join Pete & Takutai on their lovely old classic launch Tutanekai for a whole days bird watching adventure on Totaranui, " Queen Charlotte Sounds. "
Let Takutai take you for a guided bush walk on the fabulous Motuara Island bird sanctuary, Motuara is like a gigantic bird avery, with some of NZ's rarest birds, Saddle Backs, ( that have been brought back from the brink of extinction, )
South Island Robbins, that are so inquisitive and friendly, they will accompany you on your walk.
Kakariki "( NZ parrots,) beautiful little green parrot with their yellow crowns, you will hear them chattering away, although they are very shy and get bullied by the bossy bell birds.
Kereru , the magnificent native wood pigeon, watch them fly up and up then stall and drop back down as gracefull as a ballet dancer , then crash into the bush like a plane making a crash landing!
The Korimako( Bell bird) a small bird with the biggest and most beautiful song.
See the little Blue Penquins in their nesting boxes, smallest penqins in the world.
On a still day you can hear the bird song a mile offshore !

Even experienced bird watchers are amazed at Takutais uncanny ability to hear and identify all the diferent birds by their song, she has amazing eyesight and sees the birds long before anyone else, she instinctively knows the hierarchy or pecking order of the birds and knows you have to wait for certain birds to fly off before others will show.
She stalks the birds like a cat and she will show you birds you would never see on a freedom walk.

We will also take you to bird colonies of the Gannets ( of which there is only 3 in the top of the South island. )and King Shags colony ( unfortunately the colony is on a isolated remote island right out on the edge of Cook Strait. )
The Marlborough Sounds is the only place in the world where you find King Shags they are extremely timid and shy of man being one of the rarest birds in the world, legend has it that they were brought by Kupe the famous Maori explorer.
We are happy to take you out there , weather permitting but have to add a $50 fuel surcharge ! believe me it is worth the trip.
Lunch Snacks and drinks are all provided, bring good walking shoes, sunhats and sunscreen, as well as water proof wind breaker if an inclement day. Bird watching is one activity where we welcome inclement weather because the sea birds come out in droves on rainy days!

The Marlborough Sounds is an ideal place for bird watching trips, a sheltered inland waterway that offers an amazing diversity of bird life. The first birds that we encounter are usually the Australasian Gannet, witness their amazing vertical diving, we can steam up into Anatohia bay and study their colony (only one in the Sounds). Fluttering Shearwaters, Blue Penguins, Shags, Oystercatchers and Terns.

Here is a complete list of the birds that the Sounds are home to:
Bellbird, Blackbird Brown Creeper, Chaffinch, Cuckoo L.T, and Short Tailed, Grey Duck, NZ Falcon, Gannet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch Black Backed Gull, Red Bill Gull, Black Billed Gull, Harrier, Reef Heron, White Heron, W.F Heron Kaka Kingfisher, Kiwi, Magpie, Mallard, More pork, Little Owl, Oystercatcher, S.I. Pied Oyster catcher, Variable Oystercatcher, Parakeet, Blue Penguin, NZ Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, NZ. Pipit, Plover Spur, Pukeko, Cali Quail, Redpoll Rifleman, Robin, NZ Robin, Black Shag, King Shag, Little Black Shag, Little Shag, Pied Shag, Spotted Shag, Fluttering Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Para Shelduck, Silvereye, Skylark, Arctic Suka Hedge Sparrow, House Sparrow, Spoonbill, Starling, Pied Stilt, Swallow, Black Swan, Grey Teal, Black Front Tern, White Front Tern, Song Thrush Tomtit, Tui, Grey Warbler, Weka, Yellowhammer.

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