03 Dec 2020

Penguins, Royals and Lilies on Enderby Island

Today the wind abated enough for us to land at Enderby Island, greeted by a moulting elephant seal and a host of male Hooker's/New Zealand sea lions. They were too interested in securing territory for their harems to be much interested in us. Those circumnavigating the island headed east while the remainder filed up the boardwalk through rata forest, shrublands, then out into the open cushion plants and grasslands to the cliff-tops on the northern side.

Southern Royal Albatross soared low over the grasslands, the first ones already nesting. At sea their enormous bulk is not apparent, but on land with plants to give a sense of scale, their 3 metre and more wingspans look astonishing. Fields of golden-yellow Ross Lilies (Bulbinella rossii) were approaching the peak of blooming.

And all day long, little groups of Yellow-eyed Penguins/Hoiho filed to and from the sea, feeding their hungry chicks. We also enjoyed observing snipe, pippits, dotterels, Giant Petrels, parakeets, bellbirds, tui and a pair of nesting New Zealand Falcons made for an exceptional day on Enderby Island.

Image © L.Thorpe, Heritage Expeditions