I went to Ulva Island yesterday to check out the bird scene... on the walk to the ferry I saw a kaka stripping bark off a tree, on the ferry ride we saw penguins (little blue ones) and shags (cormorants) and as soon as I landed on Ulva island a weka (pronounced Wecka) lead the way in :)

Aside from them, I hardly saw any birds at all. Just lots of NZ robins, kererus, an oystercatcher, parakeets, a grey warbler, tuis, brown creepers, a heck of a lot of weka, more kaka, gulls, and muttonbirds. So really, the island is totally devoid of any kind of wildlife... ;)

Apparently a local named their daughter "Ulva" after the island. It's a lovely island. But let's be honest...it's a horrible name >.< No offence Ulva...

On the way back I went up to Observation Rock to look over Stewart Island. The Maori name for the island is Rakiura, which is apparently from a story about a guy who got turned down by both the chief's daughters and blushed both times. It tends to get translated as the Island of the glowing skies :)

I discovered that birds are quite difficult to photograph, but I tried my best... I discovered also that the nasty smell I sometimes come across in NZ bush is the fault of a certain plant called "Stinkwood" (clearly I was not the first to make that observation!)