Gallery - Members’ photos

An Acrobatic Kereru by Amilie Bentley ̶ I stood a couple of metres below some tall kowhai trees, watching as a male kereru persistently flew after his female companion. Eager to mate, he was so adamant, she not so much. This battle continued for longer than I could take, but the forces of nature were at play. Finally, there came a moment when they both tired and the female pictured here hung like a performing acrobat, catching her breath while she could. Her beautiful colours were in full display. However, this did not last long as she then flew from branch to branch, eager to escape the testosterone-filled male who would not give up his pursuit for her. The forces of nature were at play once again.

Lesser Antillean Iguana by Paul Willyams APSNZ MNZIPP AFIAP

The photograph was taken on the island of St Eustasius (aka Statia) in the Caribbean in 2015. The Lesser Antillean Iguana lives only on that island and is critically endangered. They are also hard to find as they spend all their time in trees. They start out green and go completely grey as they get older. I found this young one right outside the National Park office and was able to get close. Fortunately the lighting was perfect (dull) and I got my focus spot-on, and leaned against a pole to stay steady. This was the first photo where I really felt I had it pin-sharp. This was taken at f5 with 189 mm focal length on a Canon 7D.

Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) on the coast of Namibia

by Annemarie Clinton APSNZ ̶ Jackals are opportunistic feeders and readily feed on carrion when it is available. They are formidable hunters of rodents and gazelles and even feed on fruits and insects when prey is scarce. Besides brown hyaenas, jackals are the only large terrestrial carnivores on the coast of the southern Namibia desert. Both species feed on flotsam, carrion and hunt birds and small mammals. Cape fur seals are the main food source when there are nearby seal colonies. Due to the long lactation period of the seals (approximately 11 months), the colony is occupied all year long. During the seal birth season, from Nov to Feb, there are many placentas and stillborn seals available, providing most of the jackal diet. To get to the meat, the jackal has to open the tough skin, this procedure could take several minutes, and the jackal always starts from beneath the fore flipper, as seen in the image.

Juvenile Shore Plover, Tūturuatu

By Carol Molineux APSNZ

Waikanae Estuary is my local bird photography location. The mouth of the river is constantly changing, altering the landscape and the food source for the birds that frequent the area.

On the first day of COVID Level 3, after last year’s lockdown, I ventured out to the estuary. A shallow, slushy area often forms on the Paraparaumu side, where shorebirds feed at low tide. I soon noticed three-banded dotterels and then spotted another bird with identity bands on its legs. On closer inspection, I discovered that it was a rare juvenile shore plover. I notified DOC of my discovery and learned that five birds, bred in captivity and born on Christmas day, had been transferred to Mana Island during the lockdown. They had all since disappeared from the island, but two were later found at Plimmerton.

Over the next two months, I spent many hours taking photos, usually in the late afternoon when it (gender never identified) would fly in to feed. The bird appeared to have a close attachment to one of the banded dotterels. Over time the birds seem to accept me in their environment, and one evening the Tūturuatu even approached and pecked my gumboots while I was lying on the sand. Often the bird came within the minimal focal distance of my 500mm f5.6 lens; a real pleasure for me in bird photography is the feeling of developing a relationship with them. I shoot on a full-frame Nikon D850 camera. The other lens I have is an 80-400mm f5.6 lens which I haven’t used much since purchasing the 500mm lens 18 months ago.

However, I feel that I am missing some of the more general shots which involve a number of birds. Tracking birds flying is certainly easier with the 400mm lens. Probably the most valuable skill needed for bird photography is patience.

On 10 July, DOC caught the Tūturuatu at Waikanae Estuary and the two birds at Plimmerton. They returned them to Mana Island, where they held them in an aviary for a month before releasing them. Unfortunately, the reason for the birds leaving the island previously was identified a few days later when a ranger observed a New Zealand falcon capturing one of the birds. Remains of the other birds were also found. For more information, go to: theguardian.com/environment/2020/ jul/09/entire-rare-bird-colony-vanishesbaffling-new-zealand-scientists

Gallery - Members’ Photos

Photos by Derek Barrett LPSNZ

Australasian Harrier cleaning up a dead possum Chatham Island Fishing Frenzy at Cape Brett

Sea Lions having a chat Otago Peninsula wildlife Young Seal Lions seen on Banks Track

Photos by Annemarie Clinton APSNZ

Gallery - Members’ Photos

Chris Robinson - Takaup (Southern Gannet). The flying bird is a Takapu (Southern Gannet). Like many Auckland photographers, my wife and I make the regular trek out to the Muriwai Gannet Colony. World famous in New Zealand: Gannet Colony, Muriwai | Stuff.co.nz

Red Billed Gull by Deborah Martin LPSNZ Photos by Anita Ruggle-Lussy

Photos by Basil Cuthbert LPSNZ