Tiri Tiri Matangi

We had wanted to go to this island sanctuary 2 years ago but hard to get a reservation on the boat. It goes only once a day. And not every day. Our day was beautifully sunny and calm. A docent showed us around, identifying birds and plants. He was hard of hearing and couldn't hear some of the sounds. His protege did find a Little Blue Penguin coming out of the water and attempting to hop up the rocks to her nest box. 2 hops forward, 1 fall backward. I can sympathize. A few minutes later we saw some Oyster Catchers and their young hanging around on the beach. The young are totally camouflaged to match the beach. Saw numerous Saddlebacks which have made this enormous comeback on that island. Learned that rather than the 1000 left that we were previously told about,  there are an estimated 6000. Also some Takahe introduced in this sanctuary. They hang around in the grasses on top of the hill. These are the birds that they thought were extinct until someone found a few in 1948. This bird looks like a cross between a parrot and a chicken.  Beautiful place. Beautiful day. Ended with yet another party with our Auckland friends and some more from Honolulu at their friends' Malasian restaurant. 

Tui  taking a dust bath. Notice white tuft at throat. 

Takahe with chick