European Black Headed Gull

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Taken in the Netherlands at Vondelpark, Amsterdam
Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

Cygnet Portrait

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Beautiful Portrait of a Black Swan Cygnet at Taylor Dam, Blenheim

Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm LensNew

Little Black Shag

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Little Black Shag swimming on the Taylor Dam one late afternoon at the beginning of Winter.

Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

The Old Tree

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Beautiful old tree not far from my place. It shook the birds out just for the camera. Not sure what the birds were – wondered if they were swallows.

Delta Lakes, Marlborough, New Zealand
Canon 7D, 10-22mm Lens

Pied Stilt

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One late winters afternoon a wee ago or so, I sat in a cold, damp, smelly, swamp, hidden behind some rushes to get this shot. I ended up with a very wet backside, mud all over me. I think it was worth it!

Wetland Area, Marlborough, New Zealand
Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

White Faced Heron

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The White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae, also known as the White-fronted Heron,and incorrectly as the Blue Heron, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Zealand. It is a relatively small heron, pale, slightly bluish-grey, with yellow legs and white facial markings. It can be found almost anywhere near shallow water, fresh or salt, and although it is prompt to depart the scene on long, slow-beating wings if disturbed, it will boldly raid suburban fish ponds.

Anikiwa, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

Parting the Water

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Photographing a Cygnet up at the Taylor dam in June I caught the young bird diving under the water to grab some food. You can clearly see it’s beak open under the water, and also the water parting away from his feathers. I thought it was quite an interesting sight!

Taylor Dam, Blenheim, New Zealand
Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

Cygnet

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Cygnet of a Black Swan at Taylor Dam, in Blenheim, Marlborough.

Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

White Faced Heron

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White Faced Heron, or White Fronted heron, incorrectly known as the Blue Heron. It’s common around New Zealand and Australia. It is a relatively small heron, pale, slightly bluish-grey, with yellow legs and white facial markings. It can be found almost anywhere near shallow water, fresh or salt, and although it is prompt to depart the scene on long, slow-beating wings if disturbed, it will boldly raid suburban fish ponds. I quietly photographed a pair on the morning of the minus six fog at Anikiwa. they hung around just long enough for me to get about 20 good shots of them.

Anikiwa, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
Canon 7D, 120-400mm

Waiting for the Sun

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Canon 7D, Sigma 120-400mm Lens

Four Pied Cormorants waiting for the sun to come out from behind the very thick fog.  (Hence the white background).  I have never seen fog so thick!

Anikiwa, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

New Zealand Kea

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Canon 7D, 120-400mm Sigma Lens

 The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Now uncommon, the Kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock, especially sheep. It received full protection only in 1986.

The Kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiousity both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective.

The South Island Robin

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Canon 20D, 75-300mm Lens

The New Zealand native South Island Robin. They seem quite tame, coming quite close to you, but what they're after are the insects that you are disturbing.  Sparrow sized, and only found in New Zealand.  They are protected.

Tui in Black and White

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Canon 7D, 75-300mm Lens

Tui Portrait in Black and White.  These birds are native to New Zealand and have beautiful birdsong.  They're also great mimickers and can mimick things like phones, trucks backing and other environmental noises whichcan confuse people!

Flight

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Canon 7D, 100mm Macro lens

A small New Zealand native Fantail was caught inside a bulk bin raw food shop in my town. I managed to get several image of him in sharp focus, but this is the one I loved the most as it shows how fast they are and his wing movements.

New Zealand Wood Pigeon - Kereru

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Canon 7D, 100mm Macro lens

New Zealand Wood Pigeon or Kereru are massive. You can hear them before you see them by their powerful wings making a whooshing sound.  When they land on the branches of the trees, you think the branch will break as they flap wildly. Beautiful colour and a very tidy tuxedo like plumage. Native to New Zealand and protected.

Waiting for the Tide

Canon 20D, 75-300mm
Kingfisher on a rock in the estuary at Whitianga.  To get near him, I would take one step then stop, take a photo.  Then one more step slowly, and do the same.  I took it so slowly that I was able to get a few shots quite close before he flew off. I think he was waiting for the tide to come in so he could fish again!

New Zealand Gannet II

Canon 20D, 18-55mm Lens

Visiting the bird lady in Auckland, I was there just as a huge gannet had being brought in after not moving from a boat. After a couple of quick images, The Bird Lady, opened its mouth and asked me to shove a fish down it's gullet.  All in a days work!  This is a rework of the original.  I decided to do a lack and white with selective colouring of the eye.  I thought it turned out rather well!

Perfect Pair

Canon 7D, 75-300mm

Pair of Blue Herons or White Faced Herons snapped at Anakiwa .  This is as close as I could get as the are fairly shy of humans carrying what looks to be a long barrelled gun. I did try to tell them it was only a camera, but I couldn't speak Heron and I don't think they understood English.

South Island Robin

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Canon 7D, 100mm Macro Lens

I used the Macro lens for this one as it wasn't a very light place and I was also fairly close. The 100mm macro lens being 2.8 really  helped this image.  Taken on Motuara Island in the Marlborough Sounds, a natural bird sanctuary so the birds roam free without fear of predators.

This is the South Island Robin taking a bath, native and endemic to New Zealand.  They can be quite tame, seem not to fear humans.

My Patch

Canon 20D, 75-300mm Lens

Tui all fluffed up to make himself look bigger to scare away all the other birds as this was HIS tree and no one else was allowed to land there.  Beautiful specimen and colours. One of the most loved birds in New Zealand.  They have great mimicry, but their own song is beautiful too.  In the cities they are known to mimic the beeping of trucks backing, cellphone ringtones, telephones, to the extent people can't tell the difference!