NEW ZEALAND:BIRD WATCHING

新西蘭：觀鳥(niǎo)記

8月，正值南半球秋冬之季。熱愛(ài)觀鳥(niǎo)的耘生強(qiáng)烈建議去新西蘭度過(guò)他的初一暑假。

他從網(wǎng)上搜到了大量的資料，告訴我們這里是世界上最古老的動(dòng)物地理區(qū)，擁有珍貴的鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)活化石，也是特有鳥(niǎo)種集中的國(guó)家之一。

我被孩子列舉的理由打動(dòng)，一家人開(kāi)始了獨(dú)特的新西蘭觀鳥(niǎo)之旅。

It’s August, and now is the time when autumn turns into winter in the South Hemisphere. Yun Sheng, a bird watcher, was strongly recommended to spend his thirteen summer holiday in New Zealand. He researched New Zealand online, finding out about it’s wildlife and birds, and told us that New Zealand has an incredibly high density of bird species along with some very rare ‘living fossils’- species that haven’t changed for thousands of years. We were so convinced by the young man's research and reasons that we headed off to New Zealand for a wildlife holiday.

Text by Ling Lan&Zhu Yunsheng Translations by Bian Jiajin Photos by Zhu Yunsheng& CFP

1

2

3

1. Arctic Redpoll

極北朱頂雀

2. Pilots Beach-Timaru

北美金翅雀

3. Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis

林巖鷚

4.Paradise Shelduck

黑胸麻鴨

5. South Island Oystercatcher

南島斑蠣鷸

6. Tui

新西蘭蜜雀

Aviators of the island

New Zealand is divided into the North Island and South Island. From the perspective of sightseeing, South Island seems to be more attractive. However, in the sense of bird watching, both islands have their own merits. North Island has relatively flat terrain and a mix of subtropical humid and temperate maritime climates. Thus, the number of bird species there is much higher than on South Island. South Island though, is closer to the South Pole and far more isolated, making it home to some very peculiar species of birds.

Our itinerary started us on North Island. We rented a campervan and left for Shakespeare Regional Park in the north of Auckland. Here we came across collared king fisher, purple swamphen, pheasant and a kind of bird we called“ white throat dog”. Renting a campervan suits those wanting to bird watch since they can easily alter their departure times and destinations. During our 18 days in New Zealand, we drove our“ moving home” and ranged all over the two Islands.

Muriwai Beach was our second destination, and it was a snap decision. There we saw booby (also called gannet by native Chinese speakers). It was not particularly big, but its wingspan was over 2 metres long, and the way it flew was very cool. Under the cliff rested a group of boobies, and after taking off, they became skilful aviators, circulating and hovering overhead. Finally they pulled their wings back to plunge head first into the sea at high speed.

zhu Yunsheng's love of birds started at a very young age. He has always been keen on observing the flight patterns and paths. These amazing animals can vary enormously in their body shape, wingspan, the way they fly etc, but it is strangely the flightless kiwi, the national bird of New Zealand, that is most well known. New Zealand has never been home to land predators so the kiwi has no natural enemies on the islands and so was able to give up flying.

The Return of Nature

On Tiritiri Matangi Island, there was only one house with very simple facilities. But every room was named after a kind of bird. Some of the people boarding the island with us were also bird watchers. When volunteer guide Barry took us to out to look for birds at night, we were not allowed to use flashlights to illuminate the animals directly. A layer of red glass paper must be covered over flashlight in order not to disturb them.

Everyone has a strong awareness of the environment and desire to protect it in New Zealand. The government has established many national parks and conservation areas. National parks are free for everyone to enter and enjoy. Conservation areas, on the other hand, have admission fees and strict rules in place for bird watching to protect all the species there. Before boarding Tiritiri Matangi Island, we had to fill out information cards, pass the security check，and even wash our feet to avoid bringing over any microorganisms from the soil on the mainland to the island. For the isolatedspecies here, anything foreign, disease, virus etc, could be lethal. New Zealanders learnt all these the hard way after colonials brought with them animals like cats and rats which had a huge impact on the bird population, completely wiping out the rather peculiar species dinornis.

4

5

6

Nowadays, New Zealanders are extremely careful to follow all the regulations to help protect their natural environment.

In Arthur's Pass National Park, it was quite normal to have a cup of coffee at table and see a rare species of parrot, the Kea. Amidst all the people, it pecked at a book leisurely just like it was free and careless in its own forests. We suddenly realised that animals, the environment and people can work together for the bene fit of both humans and nature.

Two women near gannet colony, Cape Kidnappers.在Cape Kidnapper，鳥(niǎo)與游人悠閑共處。

Subzero Tundra is a beautiful place for bird.美麗的冰原也是鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的棲息地。

Glacier and Lakes

From the North island to South Island, we took the ferry.

We embarked the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry, four passengers and a car (315NZD). The ferry was huge with a deck just for parking down below. The upper floors were the passenger cabins and working cabins. There were also movie theatres, cafés and so on. Spotting birds on the sea was also fantastic. The weather changed from sunshine to rain constantly, and the types of birds were plentiful and changed with the weather and the waters. At the observatory on the top of the boat, we met some bird watching pals from Britain. Yun Sheng took his book out and chatted with them for a long time.

Bird watching around glaciers and lakes was a totally different experience in South Island. Generally speaking, glacier areas are not great bird watching spots, but if you are lucky enough, you might find something special. Moreover, birds here sometimes rest for long periods save energy, which is perfect for bird watching or photography. At Franz Josef Glacier, besides seeing the glacier that formed 15 thousand years ago, we encountered three new species of birds; the Tomtit, New Zealand pipit and paradise shelduck. Around Lake Te Anau, thanks to the greater living environment, there was a higher diversity of species. They were however more dif ficult to spot and were usually hidden deep in the forests.

To become a bird watcher, persistence and patience are essential. At every spot, some may search for two or three days to record all the species of birds that can be found, while the photographers may stay longer just to get that perfect picture. In New Zealand however, the wait is always worthwhile.

Muriwai Gannet Colony.穆里懷塘鵝棲息地。

島上飛行家

新西蘭分為南北島，從旅游觀光的視角，南島似乎更具魅力，但從觀鳥(niǎo)的視角來(lái)看，南北島各有特色。北島地勢(shì)較為平坦，亞熱帶濕潤(rùn)氣候與溫帶海洋氣候相結(jié)合，鳥(niǎo)種和鳥(niǎo)的數(shù)量要比南島的多。而南島更靠近南極，與其他陸地隔絕，因此特有鳥(niǎo)種比較多。

我們的行程正是從北島起，租好房車(chē)立刻前往奧克蘭北部的Shakespear Regional Park。在這里，我們收獲了白領(lǐng)翡翠、紫水雞、雉雞和Tui鳥(niǎo)（即新西蘭蜜雀）。房車(chē)自駕非常適合觀鳥(niǎo)旅游者，可以根據(jù)旅行情況，隨時(shí)調(diào)整出發(fā)時(shí)間和目的地。在新西蘭整整18天，我們開(kāi)著臨時(shí)的“移動(dòng)之家”橫貫了南北二島。

Muriwai Beach就是我們臨時(shí)決定的第二站，在那里，我們看到了澳洲鰹鳥(niǎo)（也稱(chēng)塘鵝）。它個(gè)子不大，翅膀超過(guò)兩米，有很帥的飛行姿勢(shì)。在懸崖下，一大群鰹鳥(niǎo)棲息著，像一個(gè)個(gè)白點(diǎn)。飛起來(lái)后，它們就變成高超的飛行家，一會(huì)兒轉(zhuǎn)圈，一會(huì)兒懸停，然后，收起長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的翅膀，速度極快地扎入海中。

從小學(xué)就開(kāi)始迷上觀鳥(niǎo)的耘生，最喜歡的就是觀察鳥(niǎo)的飛行軌跡與姿態(tài)。這些神奇的生物，或因生存環(huán)境的不同，或因天生體型的不同，而擁有不同的動(dòng)作，就像大自然制造出的一架架型號(hào)和性能不同的飛機(jī)。而最有趣的是，在新西蘭，最有名的，也貴為國(guó)鳥(niǎo)的卻是不會(huì)飛的幾維鳥(niǎo)。因?yàn)樵嫉男挛魈m島上，幾乎沒(méi)有食肉動(dòng)物，鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)在陸地上少了許多天敵，蹦跳行走就能活得很安逸。

大自然的回報(bào)

在Tiritiri Matangi島上，只有唯一一個(gè)住所，屋內(nèi)設(shè)施簡(jiǎn)單，但每個(gè)房間都用一種鳥(niǎo)命名。與我們同批登島的人中，有很多觀鳥(niǎo)愛(ài)好者。志愿者向?qū)arry教我們夜觀時(shí)，不能用手電筒直接照射動(dòng)物，必須包上一層紅色的玻璃紙，以免驚擾到動(dòng)物。

在新西蘭，每個(gè)人都有強(qiáng)烈的環(huán)保意識(shí)。政府建立了許多國(guó)家公園和保護(hù)區(qū)，國(guó)家公園免費(fèi)對(duì)所有人開(kāi)放，但保護(hù)區(qū)要收取一定費(fèi)用，并制定嚴(yán)格的觀鳥(niǎo)規(guī)則保護(hù)鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的生存。進(jìn)入Tiritiri Matangi島前，我們需要填卡、過(guò)安檢，甚至擦洗鞋底，以防把外來(lái)的蔬菜、水果物種和別處的土壤帶入該區(qū)域。對(duì)習(xí)慣了當(dāng)?shù)丨h(huán)境的鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)來(lái)說(shuō)，這相當(dāng)于一種病毒。新西蘭歷史上也曾為此付出過(guò)教訓(xùn)。當(dāng)年人類(lèi)進(jìn)入新西蘭，除了過(guò)度捕獵鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)，也帶來(lái)了大量外來(lái)生物（當(dāng)然也包括外來(lái)的致病細(xì)菌和病毒），最終導(dǎo)致當(dāng)?shù)靥赜械目著B(niǎo)的滅絕。

現(xiàn)在，新西蘭人用近乎嚴(yán)苛的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，遵守著大自然的規(guī)則，而大自然則回報(bào)了更多。在阿瑟山口國(guó)家公園，我們輕易地在咖啡廳的桌上，發(fā)現(xiàn)了一只珍貴的啄羊鸚鵡。在周?chē)侨祟?lèi)的環(huán)境里，它悠閑地啄著一本書(shū)，仿佛待在自己的樹(shù)林里一般自在。我們突然發(fā)現(xiàn)，大自然、動(dòng)物和人類(lèi)，其實(shí)不需要那么遠(yuǎn)的距離。

海洋、冰川或湖泊

從北島到南島，我們選擇了輪渡。

從惠靈頓藍(lán)橋船務(wù)碼頭上船，4人加1輛房車(chē)的輪渡（費(fèi)用315元新幣）。渡船很大，最下層為停車(chē)艙，上幾層為旅客艙和工作艙，艙內(nèi)還設(shè)有電影院、餐廳等。海上觀鳥(niǎo)是一種奇妙的感覺(jué)。一路時(shí)晴時(shí)雨，海面上的鳥(niǎo)種也隨著天氣和海域的變化，變得豐富起來(lái)。在船頂瞭望臺(tái)上，我們遇到了來(lái)自英國(guó)的鳥(niǎo)友，耘生拿起鳥(niǎo)書(shū)，與他們慢慢交流。

在南島，冰川和湖泊的觀鳥(niǎo)體驗(yàn)截然不同。一般來(lái)說(shuō)，冰川并非常規(guī)的觀鳥(niǎo)地，但如果運(yùn)氣好，也能有所發(fā)現(xiàn)。而且這里的鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)，為了保存體力，常常靜止不動(dòng)，對(duì)于觀鳥(niǎo)和拍鳥(niǎo)者來(lái)說(shuō)，有更充裕的觀察時(shí)間。在約瑟夫冰川，我們除了見(jiàn)到1.5萬(wàn)年前形成的冰川地貌，也收獲了3種新種——南島雀鴝鹟、新西蘭鷚和黑胸麻鴨。而在蒂阿瑙湖，由于生存環(huán)境更佳，鳥(niǎo)的種類(lèi)更豐富，但其活動(dòng)范圍也更大，行動(dòng)也更敏捷，常常躲進(jìn)林子深處，很難被發(fā)現(xiàn)。

作為觀鳥(niǎo)者， 耐力和耐心都是必需的。每個(gè)觀鳥(niǎo)點(diǎn)，常有愛(ài)好者搜索兩三天，以記錄各種鳥(niǎo)種和特征，而攝影發(fā)燒友則可能需要定點(diǎn)待更久，只為記錄鳥(niǎo)兒美麗的一瞬。不過(guò)，在新西蘭，這些等待，最終被證明總是值得的。

Notice of bird watching in New Zealand 新西蘭觀鳥(niǎo)游須知

1. Bird Watching Spots觀鳥(niǎo)點(diǎn)

There are six spots in North Island that are usually worth a visit all year round, excluding the outlying islands.

South Island has altogether five spots worth heading to, but because it's colder and the temperature in winter can get as low as minus 10-Celsius grad, not every spot is easy to visit all year round.

北島重要觀鳥(niǎo)點(diǎn)一共有6個(gè)，一般四季皆可前往，離島除外。

南島重要觀鳥(niǎo)點(diǎn)一共有5個(gè)，但由于南島氣候更為寒冷，內(nèi)陸高山地區(qū)冬季甚至可達(dá)零下10度，所以并非處處都適合前往。

2. Must See Birds必看鳥(niǎo)類(lèi):

The national bird the kiwi, Kea, honeyeater, kakapo etc.

國(guó)鳥(niǎo)——幾維鳥(niǎo)、啄羊鸚鵡、Tui鳥(niǎo)、鸮鸚鵡等。

3. Transport交通工具:

Renting a campervan is the first and easiest choice. Many of the best locations are far away from facilities, so besides functioning as a vehicle, a campervan can function as bedroom and kitchen. Campervan sites en route should be checked out in advance.

房車(chē)是首選，觀鳥(niǎo)路線(xiàn)一般在荒野，房車(chē)除了解決行，還能儲(chǔ)備糧食，解決吃和住的問(wèn)題。需提前查閱路途中的房車(chē)營(yíng)地。

4. Equipment裝備:

Swarovski binoculars, telephoto lens SLR camera, compass, notebook (to jot down species seen), sleeping bags, quick-dry jackets (better be green, sepia or camou flage in order not to scare the birds), skid resistant climbing boots.

雙筒望遠(yuǎn)鏡、長(zhǎng)焦鏡頭單反相機(jī)、鳥(niǎo)書(shū)、觀鳥(niǎo)記錄本、速干衣（以綠色、褐色、迷彩為主，鮮艷的顏色會(huì)驚嚇到鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)）、睡袋、防滑登山鞋等。