I can be a little bit obsessive when I have my sights set on a particular image. On my last visit to the sanctuary I was seeking the titipounamu to photograph, and while I did find them, I didn’t achieve any useful images. Today I had the same focus. Thankfully I didn’t have to climb so many hills to find them and to be honest I have to say, they found me.
I was not alone in my quest either. I found another group of photographers with the same goal, and it so happened that we ended up at the same place when the birds decided to show themselves. It was helpful having help to spot them high up in the trees. I hope they are as pleased with their images as I am with mine.
One of the things I especially like at the sanctuary, is how friendly the people are, especially other photographers. They are always willing to share where the birds are, or in today’s case why there is a fence around a certain area. The image above is an adult kaka keeping an eye on the cameras. The image below is its chick, very close to fledging, but already out of the nest. The adult was looking out for the chick and feeding it regularly. The fence is to protect the youngster and to keep visitors at a safe distance.
Flax plants were flowering everywhere and the tui that live in the valley were having a great time feeding on the nectar of the flowers. I came away with so many tui images to process, and I love every one of them. I have many more images from the visit but they may have to be another blog post. Enjoy!
