On our last full day at Stewart Island the weather finally was playing nicely and we found someone to take us out on the water around the Paterson Inlet. We didn’t know what to expect as it can be pot luck as to what birds can be found on any given day, and on this day in particular it was the white-capped mollymawks that we managed to photograph. These birds are a medium size albatross and are absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed watching their antics on the water, scrapping with each other, keeping an eye on our boat and preening while they floated quietly on the water.
We were on a small water taxi with three other guests and our skipper. The boat was moving with the swells on the water and framing an image and clicking the shutter was not that easy. People getting in the way of my shot some of the time, then the birds getting way to close, they were challenges I was determined to overcome. I am stoked with the images I have managed to capture of these majestic birds and can’t wait to go back down south to do it all over again.
An even bigger challenge for me was actually tracking a bird long enough to focus on it flying, while the boat was moving so much but I managed that too! We then had a look around Ulva Island from the water and found a couple of white-fronted terns sitting on a rock in one of the bays.
I hope you enjoy this selection of images from the boat trip. I have so many it was hard to choose which ones to put here. Merry Christmas everyone, I hope your day went well.
