Patrick Lam 
A wild takahē appears! #BirdsNZ #Birds
Feb 26 at 12:44amWeb
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26

There were actually three of them coming out for their evening stroll right by Shelter Rock Hut on the Rees River.

From the hut book, they seem to be common sights at this hut, following their release last year.

There was even a takahē chick reported, but I don't think that was any of the 3 we saw.

Show threadAndy McKay 🇨🇦Feb 26

@va2lam nice pic, ❤️ the colour of the feathers.

Also t-4 days till we fly and t-16 days (roughly) till I’m doing the Routeburn Track 😀

Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26

@andymckay they are amazing, yes. Enjoy the Routeburn! Conical Hill is a nice extra 2km.

I have an extra unplanned day in Wellington today. Thanks/no-thanks Uber...

Show threadAndy McKay 🇨🇦Feb 26

@va2lam thanks for the heads up.

After that I’m doing Kepler 😀

Bummer, but there are worse places than Wellington at least.

Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26

@andymckay I read the hut book at Iris Burn on Kepler and it said "go towards the falls at 10pm and you'll see a kiwi". I did and there was indeed a kiwi.

Wellington is definitely not a bad place to be stuck especially when my spouse is there.

Will now be in Vancouver for 36 hours on the way back to Waterloo.

Show threadAndy McKay 🇨🇦Feb 26
@va2lam awesome, looking forward to it. Not seen a Kiwi in the wild.
Show threadIdzieFeb 26
@va2lam so cool!!
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@idzie the story behind their rediscovery 75 years ago is epic too, in case you haven't heard it, as well as continuing conservation efforts.
Show threadIdzieFeb 26
@va2lam oh I'll look it up
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@idzie anyway you have to go to some pretty specific places to see them, but if you're in the right place, they just come by for their evening stroll... https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/takahe-recovery-programme/
Takahē Recovery Programme

Once considered extinct, the story of the takahē is truly unique. Although their numbers are growing, there is still a lot of work to do.

Show threadIdzieFeb 26
@va2lam thanks for the link!! It seems unlikely, but maybe someday I'll get to Aotearoa to see the birds... :)
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@idzie I hope you can!
Show threadAdaFeb 27
@idzie @va2lam Sadly, we didn't get to see any on our visit to Tiritiri Matangi :\
Show threade. hashman 🇵🇸Feb 26
@va2lam rainbow chikn 
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@ehashman there's a kākāpō custom emoji on cloudisland‽ whoa. Now that's one bird I really want to see. All I can do is listen to the Kākāpō Files every week...
Show threade. hashman 🇵🇸Feb 26
@va2lam we also have 
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@ehashman yes, I have seen that one!
Show threadRobynFeb 26
@va2lam
As a stingy person without much in the way of discretionary spending, I don't regret paying to see Scirocco on one of his ambassadorial tours
@ehashman
Show threadPatrick Lam Feb 26
@RedRobyn yep; looks like I missed the chance to see him, alas. Maybe one day I can volunteer to get up in the middle of the night on a predator-free island. @ehashman