After a big week of work and study, today I ventured inland from Christchurch to stretch the legs and breathe the mountain air. I walked part of the Mount Somers circuit track, starting at the Woolshed Creek carpark. I loved the bird-life along this track, and was fortunate enough to be right beside a NZ falcon chilling out on a tree branch. Incredible bird. And I was also treated to a bellbird sing-song (videos included at the end of the post). Nice day out in the Canterbury foothills. I stayed at Methven camping ground, a cute, but very cold, place to stay ❄️
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| The track goes past the old mine site |
The beautiful bellbird song
The New Zealand falcon is New Zealand's only falcon. Other common names for the bird are bush hawk and sparrow hawk. It is frequently mistaken for the larger and more common swamp harrier. It is the country's most threatened bird of prey, with only around 3000–5000 breeding pairs remaining. Wikipedia
I knew it was a falcon before I saw it!!
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| Methven campground |
