Ruatiti Domain, Mangonui-o-te-Ao River, North Island, New Zealand.I read that this is a good place to see Whio, the Blue Duck, they occur nowhere else in the world and were on my wish list during our trip through New Zealand.
Blue Duck is a river specialist which inhabits clean, bouldery, fast flowing streams in the forested upper catchments of New Zealand rivers and the Mangonui-o-te-Ao River is known as a Blue Duck destination as individual pairs occupying the same stretch of river year after year.
They are tricky to find though. Firstly it has a very small and severely fragmented population and secondly, they are mainly active during early morning and late evening periods, hiding during the day in log-jams, caves and other such places.
The narrow, slippery approach to the Ruatiti Domain did not make the trip any easier in our campervan, we stopped frequently along the way to look at likely spots for the duck. Stopping for the evening along the river at the Domain, with not another person or vehicle in sight, was a memorable evening during our 7 weeks in New Zealand.
The narrow, slippery approach to the Ruatiti Domain did not make the trip any easier in our campervan, we stopped frequently along the way to look at likely spots for the duck. Stopping for the evening along the river at the Domain, with not another person or vehicle in sight, was a memorable evening during our 7 weeks in New Zealand.
I worked all the access points along the river until night fall with no sign of the duck, from dawn I did the same patrol, still no hint of activity. We left the Domain and stopped again at the bridge that crosses the river, watched, waited, coffee and brekkies in hand and eventually called it a day. We slowly drove back towards SH 4, but it was now getting to 10am, Fred stopped to clean some of the mud off the campervan, chatted to a farmer who gave us a venison fillet from his boot - just back from hunting! By that point I had given up hope of seeing the duck, the sun was out and it was a glorious morning.
......then I saw the pair of Blue Ducks, their slately blue colour and russet breast blending so well among the boulders of the river, their unique bills bright in the sunlight, the intensity of their yellow eyes like miniature suns..... 
One last bend, perfect spot to look, Fred suggested we make one last stop, I got out the vehicle, focussed on the rocks and my pulse raced.
I was looking at a chick, then 2 more came into view....
......then I saw the pair of Blue Ducks, their slately blue colour and russet breast blending so well among the boulders of the river, their unique bills bright in the sunlight, the intensity of their yellow eyes like miniature suns..... 
What a find, they were shepharding 6 chicks through the fast flowing river, stopping on the boulders to plan the next leg of their river crossing....a joyous birding experience, we watched them for quite some time before they disappeared into the thick undergrowth for the day.
