NEW CAMERA!

My trusty old Nikon D80 was finally able to retire on Tuesday! After taking well over 200,000 shots and enduring countless hours of sand blasting, rain showers and all sorts of abuse it was able to take a well-earned break and become my back-up camera to my new Nikon D300s ... well that's what the plan was until yesterday morning...

I was photographing black-fronted terns yesterday morning and really enjoying the fast focus and frames per second (fps) of my new camera when the shutter release button decided to seize up on me!!! I've had the camera for three days and it's already in the shop for repairs!! We'll the trusty old D80 has been brought out of retirement until the D300s is fixed (luckily under warranty)!  

The photo above is of a few of the bar-tailed godwits which have decided to stay here in Christchurch for the winter and earthquakes (brave birds) instead of migrating to Alaska for the summer. The photo to the left is of a juvenile little pied shag drying its wings.

The series below is of the two species of oystercatchers found here in New Zealand, the South Island Pied Oystercatcher (SIPO) and the endemic Variable Oystercatcher.

The South Island pied oystercatchers (Haematopus finschi) unlike their variable cousins breed inland along rivers, lakes and cultivated land; sometimes as far inland as the Southern Alps. In winter the birds congregate on the coast and can be found throughout New Zealand.

Variable oystercatchers (Haematopus unicolor) breed throughout New Zealand and nest on the coast usually in between rocks or on sand dunes (see the eggs in the photo below). Variable oystercatchers are predominantly black in colour, although their frontal plumage can range from solid black to pied. They can be identified as they are slightly larger than SIPOs.

South Island Pied Oystercatchers approach their high tide roost on the Avon/Heathcote Estuary.

South Island Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus finschi)  

A juvenile SIPO searches for food on the mud flats of the Avon/Heathcote Estuary

Above and below: variable oystercatchers defend their territory from rival pairs

Its amazing to watch oystercatchers find, probe and open mussels and cockles in one swift motion, and the ease at which they pull chitons from the rocks is amazing - those things dont come off easily!!

eft: Variable Oystercatcher eggs

* A big thanks to the guys at Photo & Video for having me as their guest photographer last month!

* And thanks to David Streeten from StreetwiseDesign for featuring me on his bulletin board !

I cant wait to get my new camera back!!!

Spring greetings

It’s that time of year again, time to defrost and shake off the winter blues! For a wildlife photographer Spring’s arrival brings so much anticipation and excitement. It’s a time to capture the essence of new life from territorial disputes to nesting birds and incredible courting displays. It’s a time to finish last year’s projects and to start new ones… so much to do and so little time. This is truly an amazing time of year!!!

So here's a few spring shots to start of another season :) 

Pukeko Nest, Christchurch

  

Pukekos are very social birds, and copulation and courtship within a territory occurs between all adults members, this social breeding is thought to help synchronize sexual cycles allowing several females to lay in the same nest at the same time.  Incubation is shared by both males and females and only adults incubate. Each female will lay up to 6 eggs, and a communal nest can have up to 12 eggs from 2-3 females.

Pukeko chick, Christchurch

Being highly social birds, all birds in a territory assist with chick care, so each chick may have a parent, aunt/uncle, older brother/sister as a minder. In this photo an older family member helps feed a chick.

 

Variable Oystercatchers, Opoutere Beach

A pair of endemic variable oystercatchers (Haematopus unicolor) patrol their territory. Variable oystercatchers are very territorial during the breeding season and will defend their territories sometimes aggressively. Nests are laid in a shallow dish of sand or shingle where the female lays 2-3 eggs.

Black swan cygnets, Christchurch

In this photo two black swan cygnets hitch a ride on mum's back. Parents often carry young cygnets on their backs  for protection and warmth. Cygnets are tended by their parents for approximately 6 months.

Banded dotterel nest, Lake Ellesmere

The banded-dotterel nest is a simple, well disguised scrape in the ground where usually 2-3 eggs are laid. Incubation is shared by both sexes. In April most birds migrate to Australia or the north of the North Island where they escape the cool temperatures of the South Island winter (smart birds).  Notice the two bands across the birds breast which give the bird its name.