We went on a guided bird watching walk on Ulva Island today. It is a 7 minute boat taxi ride south of Stewart Island sitting in Patterson inlet. The island is one of the only islands nearby where all bird predators have been removed and the island is much like it was in the beginning of time. We learned that there are plant species living there that date back 200 million years, to Gondwana times. We observed Stewart Island Robins, an endangered species, Variable Oyster Catchers, Rifleman birds, bell birds, Tui , Grey warblers, Saddle Back birds (Very Rare), Tomtits, Red and Yellow Crowned Parakeets(Kakariki), Weka birds that look a lot like a Kiwi , Kiwi tracks in the mud, Kaka birds, wood Pigeons and Brown Creeper birds. The island is home to many species that rarely exist anywhere else in any numbers. They took 4 years to get rid of the rats and other predators from the island. We saw several species of Orchids including the Bird’s nest, Spider, Bamboo, and Green Bird varieties.