Wellington Zoo

Yesterday was a three hour walk around Zealandia and today we spent the entire morning at Wellington Zoo. My feet are so sore now that just walking to the kitchen for a cuppa tea is a mission! I have certainly pushed myself beyond what my poor arthritic joints would like, but hey, we suffer for our art don't we :)

There were sooooo many people at the zoo today! I don't think I have ever seen so many pushchairs and buggies at the same time before. It really is good to see the zoo doing so well but from a photographers point of view I would love to be able to go there one day when there are no children. To be able to get a clear view at the exhibits with no reflections of crowds in the glass would be heaven. I understand that it's just a dream but I can dream can't I?

Tomorrow is an at home day, we might have a play with macro photography. Watch this space for the results!

Zealandia

Yesterday saw us wandering around the lower regions of Zealandia. The weather had calmed, it was fine albeit a little cloudy in the morning, but perfect for a walk in the bush. There were lots of birds out this time and a huge number of chicks flying about. Identifying them all became a little difficult but they made for great photographs.

I love my big Sigma lens but there are times when I still wish I could get closer. Seeing the Welcome Swallow chicks was one of those times. The reality however is that if I did get closer they probably would just fly off so I am happy with the images I managed to capture. I didn't realise I had caught them with the parent bird until I started processing - they were that quick!

The tuatara were out in force too, I don't think I have ever seen so many of them fully out of their burrows. Both large adults and babies (2-3 year olds) were out wandering in their enclosure. I was also surprised by how fast they can move when they want to. For the most part they just sit and soak up the sun, but when I pointed the camera at one of them it was off in a flash! (and I wasn't using flash!)

We spent just over three hours wandering the lower regions of the park and that was more than enough for me. I wish there was a way to get to the top end without having to walk there. It would be great to be able to start up there and finish back at the visitor centre.

Visiting Photogs

We have two visiting photographers from Auckland, (they also happen to be my mother and her husband), and the plan of the trip was to get out and take nature photographs. Typical Wellington has put on its best weather for the event and while we drove around most of my usual haunts, the wind chased us back home.

So I introduced them to my backyard birds. The birds all came out to play regardless of the wind and we managed to get some good images. It is good to have a plan B and especially when it means not having to leave the house. We stay tucked up warm inside and the birds perform just out the door.

Hopefully tomorrow's weather will be calmer and warmer and we will get out to places like Zealandia and the Zoo. Matiu Somes Island is also on the list of places to go if the weather plays nice. If not, well there is always the scrabble board!

New Year's Eve

 The last day of 2012. I will need to start a new folder on my computer for my photos tomorrow and catch up on all my cataloging so I can find images when I want them. This morning I was up early, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the camera was sitting begging me to pick it up. So I did.  I love that I can take nature shots without even leaving the house, it is such a treat!

The next week will be an intensive photography week for me, my mother is coming to stay and being a keen photographer herself, she wants to go to all my local haunts to see what she can capture. So visits to Zealandia, the Zoo, Matiu/Somes Island are but a few of the places we will be going to. By the end of the week I am going to be ready to go back to work for a rest!

I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year!

Enjoying the holidays..

The wind plays havoc with Tui feathers!

Our back garden is slowly changing from its former life as a car yard to a haven for wild birds. Today we added two new plants to the mix. Passionfruit have always been a treat for me as I haven't had them growing where I lived since I was a small child. Today we planted two of them along the back fence, so hopefully they will grow and produce much fruit!  They have the added advantage of having fantastic flowers for photography. I plan to do some interesting macro shots with them next year.

It is interesting that the more we do to the garden, the more bird visitors we get. One tui that visits two or three times a day found that yesterday we had no sugar water out for him. It was like he really didn't believe it, so he jumped around all the trees and down onto the BBQ looking for it. Sadly he went without, but he was back again today and happy to have me wander around him with the camera while he had his fill from the feeder. He knows now, if it is not there one day it will be there another day.

The waxeye numbers are slowly building once more and I can hear chicks calling again. I have seen them but not been able to photograph them as yet. They are a bit skittish and fly off when they see me. One waxeye that visits has lost the bottom half of its beak. I don't know how this might have happened but it dosen't seem to worry it that much and it did look healthy other than the beak issue.

The Tui is becoming quite the poser for the camera!

Camping out...

 
The weather is overcast and light rain from time to time but as it is our holidays it was hard to say no when a friend suggested we go out with the cameras. We chose Petone Estuary and went pretty much prepared for anything. Camp chairs for comfort (because we are patient and wait for the birds to come to us), light stands to hold up our umbrellas (to shade us from the sun or shelter us from the rain) and the odd rock or two as a foot stool.

Our patience paid off when a couple of white faced herons wandered over our way and entertained us with their fishing antics. There was the odd seagull silly enough to think we had food for them, an oyster catcher that was missing a foot, but the highlight of the day was the Royal Spoonbill that showed no fear of us at all and happily wandered around our camp feeding on the weed.

When the tide moved further out so did we. We picked up the chairs and moved out onto the seaweed in the middle of the lagoon in the hope of getting a better view. I think the only people getting a better view were those on the bridge laughing at us. Even the birds laughed at us. Must have really been quite a sight ;)

Christmas at Pauatahanui Inlet

There were a huge number of white-faced herons at the inlet today. Not sure if it was the hot weather or just the right low tide but there were lots of them. Unfortunately I disturbed a few of them without realising it as they were hiding down in the reeds and as I walked past they took flight. I am better at the reaction time though and managed to capture some of the departures.

I was surprised to see that one of the white-faced herons was a little different to the rest. I didn't get a great photo of it or I would have shared it here, but instead of having a white face, its whole head was white. I hope to go back another time and get a better shot of it.

I saw what I thought was swans and sygnets in the distance so we jumped in the car and drove around to where they were. Not swans at all! Canada Geese were swimming about in the shallow water with a whole heap of goslings. I am not sure if it was two or three families but they were all intermingling in the same area. The goslings looked rather funny, adult bodies and baby feathers.