After observing the Nankeen Night Heron for many years at Upokongaro, we have, this year, for the first time, found nests and eggs. They are a very rare bird in NZ, possibly numbering no more than 50 birds. For some strange reason they have decided to nest in a tree directly above diners at the cafe in Upokongaro, 10 km upstream from Whanganui City. The nests are high up, very obscured by foliage, so difficult to observe or photograph. Over the last few days, we have heard chicks and found eggshells on the ground below. We now wait for the chicks to show themselves, if indeed they survive. So, an exciting new development. Only once before, twenty-eight years ago, have Nankeen night heron nests been found in NZ, and that was upstream at Jerusalem.
Update 23/02/2023:
Very happy to report that we have chicks and have photographed one off the nest. It seems chicks take two to three weeks to develop sufficiently to be able to move away from the nest and about the tree. The chick already appears the size of an adult - so amazing to see - as in picture below.
