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Blue Ducks update
Annual update of the Blue Duck report – every summer “birders” and “twitchers” visit Turangi looking for the Blue Ducks.
If they come from the UK they are known as twitchers.
If they come from USA they are known as birders.
If they are from NZ they are known as fishos.
In Turangi the Blue Ducks are not the rare and endangered species that hide in the rest of remote backcountry NZ. The Tongariro River is the easiest location in NZ where tourists can find them.
There are so many in the remote locations – like almost every bend on the upper Wanganui River – that they have expanded their breeding territory to move into town.
Their aggressive behaviour forces many of the other ducks to find new locations.
They are so well known that they feature on NZ’s $10 notes.
Beware of angry Blue Ducks on Tongariro River…
Anglers wading over to the islands down the Tongariro River at this time of the year need to be aware there are still ducks nests hidden in the long grass.
Like the cicadas, they are also having a late season?
The ducks nest on the island as a safe option to hide from feral cats.
The islands are located mid-river in the braids, above Judges Pool, above Fan Pool, Neverfail Pool – above Hydro and below Kamahi, above Birches Pool-below Silly Pool, etc.
Every island has several hidden nests which include ‘supposedly rare endangered’ (?) Blue Ducks. These Blue Ducks have nested here for so long they now own the river.
They are the savage ones – very territorial.
The other duck species are much friendlier but most have been scared away.
TRM’s trained guard dog beast Juno, used to avoid the Blue Ducks – but not because she is worried about disturbing them. She is more frightened by their angry aggressive attitude as she is concentrating on stalking and spooking wild trout.
She is so brave…
