Meet Today’s Local
In this Garden Locals post, I’m stepping back in time to last autumn, when a very special native bird became a regular visitor to the garden for several months.
Today’s local is a male korimako, also known as the New Zealand bellbird, captured during a quiet moment in the garden. Throughout the winter months he was incredibly dominant, regularly announcing his presence with his unmistakable, melodic song. His daily visits quickly became one of the highlights of the season.
The Moment
This image was taken from inside the house, shooting through a large picture window. I loved the way the bellbird appeared to be flying straight towards me, wings outstretched in mid-air.
At the time, he was actively chasing away a couple of sparrows who dared to enter his territory. Being winter, the light was dull and far from ideal for photography, but I still thoroughly enjoyed spending time observing his antics in the garden. It was incredibly hard not to pick up the camera every time I saw him arrive.
Behaviour & Observations
The korimako is a fast and agile bird, so I was genuinely surprised to capture this in-flight image. For the most part, he always arrived alone, confidently asserting his dominance.
On one occasion, however, he brought a companion with him. The female bellbird only visited a couple of times, but I managed to capture a few images of her as well.
One of my favourite aspects of this photo is the visible movement in the wings. That sense of motion adds to the story and really reflects the energy and personality of this beautiful native bird.
Camera Setup & Settings Used
Once again, I was shooting with my Lumix G9II, paired with the Panasonic Leica 100–400mm lens. I used aperture priority mode to control depth of field and increased the ISO to maintain a fast shutter speed in the low winter light.
Camera Settings:
- Camera: Lumix G9II
- Lens: Panasonic Leica 100-400 lens
- Focal length: 400mm
- Aperture: f/8.0:
- Shutter speed: 1/1600 sec
- ISO: 6400
- Mode: Aperture priority
The fast shutter speed allowed me to capture movement in the wings, while f/8 ensured the body of the bellbird remained sharp. The higher ISO compensated for the dull lighting conditions typical of winter days.
Final Thoughts
With the bellbird being such a rare visitor to my garden, I took every opportunity to photograph him. Once spring arrived and the tūī returned, the bellbird quickly discovered he was no longer the top bird in the garden.
I look forward to his return and hope to capture and share more images of this delightful native bird in the future.
I’ve added a few more images of both the male and female bellbird, all taken with similar camera settings. If you have any questions or which to stay connected, feel free to contact me through my website, or follow along on Facebook or Instagram.
