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Otago Peninsula / Dunedin, New Zealand (Center on Interactive Map)

Map of Otago Peninsula / Dunedin, New Zealand

Map of Otago Peninsula / Dunedin, New Zealand



Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) Spotted Shag (Phalacrocorax punctatus) New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) - Female Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) Australian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)
Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret) New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) - Male Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) - Juvenile

Dunedin is New Zealand's college city. The surrounding area is mostly farmland, but there is some interesting wildlife on the adjacent Otago Peninsula

Trips

New Zealand

1/13/2012: In Dunedin, we woke up to find that it was raining. It seems like this is a common event in these parts, but fortunately, the rain stopped before our planned trip to the Otago Peninsula. We has reservations to see the Royal Albatross colony as well as some kind of Yellow-eyed Penguin experience complete with WWI style trenches.

The brochures in town all promised shorebirds on the peninsula. There were some birds out there, but I had been hoping for sandpipers. Instead, there were a lot of stilts and oystercatchers.

We drove out to the albatross center where we had a private tour of the blind. It seems like the earlier rain had chased everyone else away. The center was good, but it was a little disappointing that the birds were behind a thick glass. We could not hear the cool sounds that they make.

The penguin battlefield was more of a close encounter. We saw and smelled a bunch of Yellow-eyed penguins.

Back in Dunedin, the party scene was really kicking up. Cars cruised down the strip full of young New Zealanders wearing their finest cowboy hats and playing John Cougar full blast.

We finished up our trip with a visit to Baldwin Street which is said to be the World's steepest street. Upon my visit, however, I can say that this claim is fraud. There is one small portion of the street that is especially steep, and it does not compare to many of the steep streets in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and from what I hear, Pittsburgh in the USA.

Previous Visit (Manapouri: 1/11/2012)
Next Visit (Twizel: 1/14/2012)



Species Recorded (19)

Birds ( 17 )

Penguins ( Spheniscidae )
Yellow-eyed Penguin - Megadyptes antipodes

Albatrosses ( Diomedeidae )
Northern Royal Albatross - Diomedea sanfordi

Cormorants ( Phalacrocoracidae )
Spotted Shag - Phalacrocorax punctatus

Herons ( Ardeidae )
White-faced Heron - Egretta novaehollandiae

Ibises and Spoonbills ( Threskiornithidae )
Royal Spoonbill - Platalea regia

Swans, Geese, and Ducks ( Anatidae )
New Zealand Scaup - Aythya novaeseelandiae
Black Swan - Cygnus atratus
Australasian Shoveler - Spatula rhynchotis

Rails, Gallinules, and Allies ( Rallidae )
Australasian Swamphen - Porphyrio melanotus

Plovers ( Charadriidae )
Masked Lapwing - Vanellus miles

Oystercatchers ( Haematopodidae )
South Island Oystercatcher - Haematopus finschi

Sandpipers and Allies ( Scolopacidae )
Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers ( Laridae )
Silver Gull - Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia
White-fronted Tern - Sterna striata

Pigeons and Doves ( Columbidae )
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia

Cardueline Finches and Allies ( Fringillidae )
Lesser Redpoll - Acanthis cabaret

Lifelists

Australasia
World

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