More from Wingspan - Rotorua

We are home from our road trip to Rotorua and I still have a heap of photos to process. I really should stop trying to do it on my laptop on the road as when I look at them later on the colours are not the best. Todays images are from Wingspan again. I love photographing birds and had high hopes of what I might achieve at Wingspan.

Male NZ Falcon

I had been advised by another photographer where was the best place to position myself during the show and armed with this information, my camera and zoom lens I was set. Imagine my surprise when we were the only people there for the show - just the two of us! Another couple joined as half way through, having gotten lost on the way there. So there was plenty of space to move around and we got all the opportunities we wanted to photograph the two birds they bought out.

Female NZ Falcon

The New Zealand Falcons are endangered and Wingspan are doing a great job of trying to increase their numbers in the wild. We listened as the trainers told us all about the birds as they put them through their paces. The birds like routine, so they had to work them as they would no matter how many people turn up for the show.

I managed to get a couple of shots of the birds on the wing, but for the most part they were far too fast for me to capture in the camera. That takes skill and the right equipment - which I am sure I don't have. I am really happy with what I did achieve in the short space of time we were there.

NZ Morepork

 I spent a bit of time looking at the avairies while we waited for the show. They have a very nice set up with some owls as well as the falcons. The birds certainly looked very content in their enclosures.  I would recommend a visit to Wingspan to any photographer keen on birds, particularly native New Zealand birds - even if you don't photograph them, the entry fee is going towards a very important cause.

Wingspan - Rotorua

Zealandia - Nov 2011

Tuatara

"I can fly!"

Young Bellbird

Adult Bellbird



Tuatara

Falcon in flight

Another day at Zealandia

Over the last few weeks there have been several really great images of the New Zealand falcon posted by Hutt Camera Club members on Facebook . Being a keen bird photographer I asked where the images were shot and promptly took myself there as soon as I could.  It turns out that the falcons are currently nesting at Zealandia and it is possible to get reasonably close to them. So a friend and I ventured off to have an attempt at getting our own great images of them.

New Zealand Falcon

The falcons share nesting duties and typically swap places on an hourly basis. Of course the first day we were there they were obviously unable to tell the time! We stood around and waited for the change over for about two hours before giving up. On our second trip the following week I managed to get these shots. The falcons have hatched one chick this year, I am keen to see it when it leaves the nest.

New Zealand Falcon

New Zealand Falcon

Further down the path the New Zealand robin (see previous post) was hoping about in the branches along the side of the path so we stopped and photographed that too. While we were with the robin a couple of saddlebacks played around in the bush beside us, staying just out of reach of the cameras. The saddlebacks are very hard to capture as they move about so fast and in areas where there is little light.

Saddleback

The feeding stations are great places to stop and photograph the birds. The kaka are particularly fun to watch as they prance about doing their thing. They are just so busy and boisterous, and you can see a very distinct pecking order of the birds around the feeding station. The smaller birds stayed back and waited their turn or scavenged off the ground, letting the kaka and tui have their fill first.

Bellbird

Bellbird

Kaka

I have been to Zealandia many times and never until this visit had I managed to see the tuatara out. I was definitely excited to see on the notice board that someone had spotted them just an hour before so hurried to the right number post and there it was. Unfortunately its position next to a plastic drainage pipe was not great for photography (see previous post) but I saw the tuatara!! On my next visit the same tuatara was out in the same spot still next to the plastic pipe!

Pied Shag

We also took the time to ride in the little electric boat they have there. This gave me the opportunity to photograph the pied shags without needing a huge piece of glass on my camera. The shags are quite used to the boat moving around and happily posed for the photos. We were also able to get almost underneath the tree they were nesting in. One doesn't want to get right underneath for obvious reasons...

Pied Shag

Pied Shag

Pied Shag

Pied Shags Nesting

Zealandia