We are lucky to have so many wildlife opportunities within an easy 20 minute drive from where we live. The Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve is one of the best. Every visit produces different images, different birds, different light. It never gets boring!
I try not to close myself off to finding something other than my intended target when heading out with the camera. These little birds were not my intended subject for the day but they were a delightful distraction.
The fernbirds live in and around the wetlands and are often hidden in the bushes alongside a track I walk often. They are about the size of a sparrow and are often heard but not seen.
I learned today that I am very much out of practice with photographing kingfishers. I was missing shots that I used to be able to capture easily. My reaction times have slowed down because I have been concentrating on bush birds. Today I spent an hour trying to change that. It felt really good to …
For the last couple of weeks the Royal Spoonbills have taken over one of the ponds at the Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve and to the delight of many photographers and bird watchers, they forage for food right in front of a hide. I have visited them a couple of times now and witnessed behaviours that I …
Back in 2013/14 I totally obsessed over kingfishers. I went to the beach at every opportunity and spent time photographing them. I would sit for hours and often come away with only a handful of useful images. Kingfishers are a challenge and that was my prime reason for going back every time. I enjoyed the …
My plans for this year have been thrown out the window and we have been in lock-down for almost a month now. Our trip to Canada has been put on hold, refunds gained where possible and credits where not. We have a lot of money tied up in credits so I am hoping that overseas …
We went for a walk around the reserve today and came away with more knowledge about the area than we had before. A local man was checking the traps and was telling us all about the things Forest and Bird, and DOC are doing to the area. We learnt about fern birds and their calls …
This morning at the beach I was alone. Not another photographer in sight for almost all the time I was there. One did pass by briefly and waved but he didn’t stop more than a few minutes. The kingfishers were also enjoying the quiet. I had five of them above me for most of the …
Today was one of those stunning winter days that Wellington is so good at. Next to no wind and a perfect day to photograph kingfishers diving for their dinner. On arrival at the beach I found more photographers than kingfishers! Someone forgot to send the memo to the birds and we all sat and waited …
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