One Day Birding Adventure

A wonderful way to see the stunning scenery and bird life around Tauronga. We had the most amazing location to have our lunch. We also laughed a lot.

Tom's local birding knowledge was superlative, a call or brief spot and Tom had identified the birds and pointed them out to us. We spend a whole week with him and he has solid values, a fantastic sense of humor is never running out of dad jokes. I am grateful he took such great care of us. He was open to diverge from the schedule to accommodate weather changes or interesting sights along the way. We are already thinking about a south island tour with him…

Tom was attentive to our interests and preferences as birders. It was our first time in New Zealand, so we didn't have specific birdwatching "goals". Accordingly, we went at a quick pace, and was able to see 40+ lifers, including the New Zealand dotterel and grey teal; we focused on mostly shorebirds. We traveled around the Bay of Plenty and explored a private forest. Tom was very responsive via email to inquiries about weather, pick up location, and other questions we had. He was also very informative and explained aspects of bird identification. We highly recommend this daylong excursion. Make sure to mention any dietary needs ahead of time as Tom provides lunch.

If you want to learn about birds in NZ, Tom is your guy. We had an epic adventure blasting around the North Island getting all the inside knowledge. Highly recommend Tom for your next birding trip.

Tom was a very interesting and competent guide for the day. We saw several birds I was hoping for and saw his private reserve. He is a good conversationalist and provided us with both history and nature information.

I travel all Over the world looking at birds, and this was one day I will always remember. Not only was Tom lovely to be with, of course we had to invite him to our home in Texas, but he was one of the best guides we have ever had. He knew the botany and well as birds and he is also a great educator. Well worth every bit of time we spent with him and his amazing knowledge of nature. We were Lucky to find him!

Spent an awesome day birding with Tom. 51 species (mostly new to me) in six hours of birding. Tom really knows New Zealand, it’s birds and their habitats. He is a top notch birder with wide experience in conservation projects which has greatly expanded his knowledge of the region. Tom also offers multi-day trips which will produce many more species and habitats. You will really enjoy your time with him, let him show you “his” New Zealand.

Tom really knows his birds, where to find them and how to spot them. The Maugataurari Reserve was the highlight of my day (sorry Tom for the Wrybills and the White-fronted terns with their cute babies!) : a complete hilltop is double-fenced to keep introduced predators out. Within the beautiful and old forest it's birds galore ! The first thing you notice when you arrive there is the orchestra of birdsong ! I saw my very first Kaka there at such close range that I can count their eyelashes in my photos ! Thanks for a great day, Tom !