friendly birds at bushy park
If you ever talk to me about birds, sooner or later I’ll mention how much I love the sanctuary Bushy Park. Although I do my bit to promote it (I have recommended it to countless people over the years), not many people seem to know about this utterly incredible and important native forest wildlife sanctuary.
Bushy Park is simply magical, the beauty of it is that you drive up a paved access way through the forest up to the historic homestead, and within minutes you’re in the middle of the 100 hectare reserve. Immediately upon arriving I was greeted by kererū/native wood pigeon on the front lawn, and in the stand of pōhutukawa trees next to the homestead there were hundreds of tūī and korimako/bellbirds singing their hearts out. In the forest there are even more birds, you don’t have to walk far to find a toutouwai/robin, or a rare tīeke/saddleback. These birds are usually prefer the deep dark of native forests so it’s just a joy to have them so approachable and accessible.
I had booked the bunkhouse for myself and family to stay in, it’s a lovely little cabin nestled in the bush, there is even a robin that hangs around on the front deck! The first thing I did upon arriving was fill the bird bath out the front of the bunkhouse and waited for the birds to come to me! During the weekend I watched countless birds bathing, from the rare tīeke to the more common tauhou/silvereye. Naturally I snapped lots and lots of photos over the weekend, here are the best ones.
I can’t recommend Bushy Park enough, as a day trip, or as a weekend getaway. It will not disappoint. Even over winter the birds are plentiful, especially kererū which can be seen in massive flocks feasting on leaves and berries. I hope you enjoy these photos!
