After my great session with the Rifleman I decided the following day to ride my luck and try for another tiny challenging bird. We headed further along the Milford road to the Homer Tunnel in search of Rock Wren. Like the Rifleman, Rock Wrens are tiny birds that are the only 2 surviving species of New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae). The Bush Wren was another relative but has unfortunately been considered extinct since 1972. Rock Wren are truly alpine birds spending their entire life above the tree line and favour rocky basins as habitat. Being ground breeders they are susceptible to predation by rats and mustelids so can suffer localised extinctions.
My plan was to head for the rocky area to the right of the Homer Tunnel entrance, sit still and hope for the best. This area was above the snowline from the recent front so was still partially covered by snow which provided a useful reflector for fill light. After spending an hour and seeing nothing apart from a couple of Silvereyes, which , being tiny green birds caused some initial excitement, I was beginning to feel that it was a bit of a hopeless mission. Everything changed when a saw a minute bird land on a nearby rock. Too small to identify with the naked eye I got my lens focussed on it and could clearly see that it was a Rock Wren and managed to get off a couple of shots before he departed. He moved around the area a little and I got a few more opportunities but the best image was from the first set.
He approached to within about 2 metres of where I was sitting but was in amongst some shrubs so I couldn’t get a clear close up. The one closer shot I managed was not in a good pose but did clearly show the small ring of material on his left leg. Rock Wren are known for these bands which consist of desquamated skin. There is a lot more we need to learn about these fascinating little birds that choose a harsh environment as their home. For more information see New Zealand Birds Online.
Rock Wren photos with Nikon D500, Nikon 500mm f4VR + TC14 1.4x teleconverter supported on Gitzo monopod. IPhone photo with iPhone 5SE.
