Titiponamu (Rifleman)

Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris).

Yay, my first ever captures of rifleman - known by the Maori as titiponamu. Hmmm, I feel the plural should be riflemen, but it's not.

They are New Zealand's smallest bird, an adult bird reaching only 8 cm from beak tip to tail tip, which is my excuse for how poor my captures are. This one is very young and is probably a male though it is hard to be certain until he has grown in his adult feathers - males have green backs with the cream chest whereas the female is a lot browner.

This photo in my blipfolio gives an idea of how hard they are to spot and photograph.

We left Cust this morning and called in at Rangiora to catch up with flying (fellow blipper Take the Leap) for breakfast. Unfortunately due to a change in policy at the cafe we didn't get fed but we did do a lot of chatting and catching up over coffee - great to see you again P.

Another stop at The Brick Mill where Kiwilizzie and I DID get a late breakfast then on the road again to a stop at St James Tarn - my new bird watchers book told me I could find grey warblers, rifleman, robins, kakariki, fantails, tits, bellbirds, brown creepers and waxeyes there on the Rolleston Pack Track. And we did see many of them - grey warblers, rifleman, robins, tits and bellbirds today. Looking forward to seeing some of the others next time. I've still not photographed a brown creeper so am on the look-out!

Not knowing what the walk might be like I didn't take my big lens with me - next time I will. The track is a bit washed out in places and we didn't get the whole way to Goings Creek as there was a washed out bridge, but it was a great wee wander through beautiful native bush.