shrimping
Singing its little heart out!
No one dares to challenge the magpie...
Leucistic variety
Foraging on piper. Another fish predator also working the school. The kororā 'quacked' several times on the surface despite no other penguins around. Prey observation here https://inaturalist.nz/observations/241411680
On soil under a half-buried rock.
John Child bryophyte and lichen workshop 2023.
Numerous adults flying in open beech forest with an understorey dominated by cutty grasses. All the adults looked at least slightly tattered and faded.
Pair (https://inaturalist.nz/observations/220768815), seen with @benackerley
Lovely chocolate brown and cream coloured one!
Nice to get some practice with my macro lens!
Cambridgea annulata on orbweb of Eriophora pustulosa, with what looked like predatory intent. As an asides, the Cambridgea is not small. For some reason, all garden orbweb spiders on Chatham Island seem to be the size of a walnut!
Amazing eyes.
Coastal (shore of a rock within the lagoon).
Observed during a unitec trip, with @ pjd1.
Coastal (shore of a rock within the lagoon).
Observed during a unitec trip, with @ pjd1.
Observation for the parasitic mites (Ixodidae?):
https://inaturalist.org/observations/239617895
4x Kea at Broken River Ski Area. Macro photo
Had the delight of this wee visitor for nearly 3 days. It is an 'Albino' or 'Leucistic' Silvereye.
The 2nd. photo has a normal colored silvereye on the higher branch and the albino waxeye on the lower branch.
I found this little juvenile silvereye in the green house, carried it outside and put it in the plum tree.
When I checked later I saw it being fed by the parent. While I was photographing later on I noticed it cuddled up to this young bellbird which then started either to feed it or was it doing something else? My request for ID really relates to the behaviour
An old photo from a while ago.
yay, pretty sure this is a first for me both sighting and getting photos. Spent 45 mins following them around back and forth over the 200m it seems they've decided to call home.
A rather tame one!
Seen a few years ago on the West Coast.
Had notably less distinct markings than a bar-tailed, and had notably dark underwings.
A flock of about 15 of these Australian Crested Pigeons were resident in this location for several years but have have not been seen since 2014/15. Presumably originating from escaped captive birds but almost certainly breeding in the 'wild'. Attracted to the location by daily feeding by a local resident.
Pregnant female(?) in Kanuka remnant
This is the first photo of a Kakapo drinking in the wild.
One of the photo opportunities we were most interested in at this location was the vulture photo blind which had been constructed nearby. King Vultures are regularly seen here ad we hoped for the chance to get some shots. I have seen King Vultures on numerous trips to southern Mexico and Central and South America dating back to the late 70s, but most of my views were of birds soaring very high in the sky. The species is known to be shy of people and can difficult to get close to.
Our guide obtains pig heads from a slaughterhouse in the region when he has clients such as Dave and me who are interested. These heads are put out in the early morning and hopefully by 9 AM or so the Black Vultures will find them which may attract one or more Kings.
The hide or blind is constructed into the ground so that the photos are taken at more or less ground level. You are shooting through optical quality glass in windows in order to lessen the disturbance to the birds and from the bird side of the glass only a dull reflection is seen. It is an incredible piece of construction and was designed very well.
To make a long story short, during our morning in this blind we had hundreds of Black Vultures and 6 Kings! Three adults and other younger birds of various ages. I have over 400 nice images, just a few which are here. It was quite an experience to see this magnificent bird up close and personal. At one point an adult King Vulture was within 5 feet of us....I took some cell phone shots!
Sitting on an Agapanthus.
Lovely to get some nice views of one of the Banks Peninsula Tui!
At one point one flew past me, only about 30cm from my head!
Coastal. 11m away.
Flushed out of Raupo
Titirangi, Auckland.
Zigzag Track, in Atkinson Park.
Black morph fantail
Thanks to Hamish Johnston for logging on eBird.
Soft enough sand to record footprints. Bands on eBird.
Raining. Boots off to cross two hours before low tide. 10 burrows checked in 1 hour with endoscope, at least 10 fresh poops on island, cream colour with dark green component, 1 adult found in 'flax burrow' middle of island. Only 60cm into burrow. Three burrows are more than 1.5 meters deep. No rat sign.
Inatting with Caiden B & Saryu Mae
Inatting with Caiden B & Saryu Mae & Lucy Dean
absolutely wonderful encouter!! juvenile came in ran around and chased the adult begging for food with the field of daisies being just suchh a pretty backdrop, chased each other for quite a while before the adult finally relented and barfed something in the juvie's mouth haha
Noticed by @william-harland on a south-facing wall of a building.
Really common along this road.
Whitehead? Whitebum.
I don't think the spider got them.