A few from New Zealand

LindiweLindiwe Registered Users Posts: 606 Major grins
edited April 16, 2011 in Wildlife
My husband and I had the privilege of spending two weeks on New Zealand's South Island recently. Didn't have much luck with the birds, and there -isn't- any native land-based wildlife of the non-avian variety. Anyway, these birds were 'firsts' for me.

Spotted Shag (Stictocarbo punctatus):

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They seem to love gathering on old piers:

1246769615_3ygwN-L.jpg

I found it really difficult to get a photo that would do justice to this amazing sight. Advice from all the experts out there would -really- be appreciated.

1246701338_Av482-L.jpg

The first image was taken at Moeraki, the second and third at Oamaru.

Comments

  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 12, 2011
    OMG, Lindiwe! What a sight is right! Thanks for posting! Best, Pam
  • LindiweLindiwe Registered Users Posts: 606 Major grins
    edited April 12, 2011
    PGM wrote: »
    OMG, Lindiwe! What a sight is right! Thanks for posting! Best, Pam

    The birds I was able to get closest to didn't exactly choose the prettiest perch, did they... Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
  • PeterBirdPeterBird Registered Users Posts: 84 Big grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    Quite a spectacle, especially in the last one! Nice captures!
    Peter
  • Dennis KaczorDennis Kaczor Registered Users Posts: 2,413 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    Wow that is a lot of birds in one place nice series. The last one for me as well.
    Regards - Dennis

    Dennis Kaczor Photography
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    A Cormorant variety to be sure...we have the Common Cormorant here. They are fairly numerous, particularly along the Mississippi River.

    With the quake in Japan, I almost forgot that NZ had a bad one. Hope they are getting along better now.

    You showed some very interesting shots here. I have never seen a group of birds so numerous other that Pelicans before.
  • Brian_SBrian_S Registered Users Posts: 188 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    wow, great shots Lindiwe
    #3 for me also, are these sea birds or a sea of birds? :)
  • LindiweLindiwe Registered Users Posts: 606 Major grins
    edited April 14, 2011
    PeterBird wrote: »
    Quite a spectacle, especially in the last one! Nice captures!
    Peter

    Thank you! It was truly an amazing sight. I just wish I had some idea on how to go about photographing something like this. I tried all kinds of things: focussing on the birds closest to me, on the birds in the middle, on the birds at the end of the pier.. I would have liked to get them all in focus, but failed those attempts.
    Dennis Kaczor wrote: »
    Wow that is a lot of birds in one place nice series. The last one for me as well.

    Thanks, Dennis! There were too many to count, for sure. Surprising that the pier hasn't collapsed under the weight of fertilizer ;)
    MakeMeShutter wrote: »
    The birds seem endless in the last image!

    Don't they just? And the image still doesn't manage to convey what they eye took in. Thanks so much for commenting!
    Ric Grupe wrote: »
    A Cormorant variety to be sure...we have the Common Cormorant here. They are fairly numerous, particularly along the Mississippi River.

    With the quake in Japan, I almost forgot that NZ had a bad one. Hope they are getting along better now.

    You showed some very interesting shots here. I have never seen a group of birds so numerous other that Pelicans before.

    Definitely cormorants. 'Spotted Shag' is the name the guide to NZ birds that I bought over there gave them. In hindsight, I should have bought a better guide.

    Re the Christchurch earthquake - they were still experiencing daily aftershocks when we were there, and the Central Business District was still completely blocked off. Recovery will be a hard road indeed.

    Thanks so much for the comments! Much appreciated.
    Brian_S wrote: »
    wow, great shots Lindiwe
    #3 for me also, are these sea birds or a sea of birds? :)

    I think what we have here is a sea of sea birds ;) Thanks for the kind comment!
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited April 14, 2011
    Very cool thumb.gif
    Dan
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  • W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited April 14, 2011
    I'm not aware of any other wharves in the country that are covered by seabirds! They've taken over this particular wharf only because it is long-closed due to safety issues.

    For anyone interested, I've previously posted a very different view to my site here.
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  • LindiweLindiwe Registered Users Posts: 606 Major grins
    edited April 14, 2011
    dlplumer wrote: »
    Very cool thumb.gif

    Thank you! :)
    W.W. Webster wrote: »
    I'm not aware of any other wharves in the country that are covered by seabirds! They've taken over this particular wharf only because it is long-closed due to safety issues.

    For anyone interested, I've previously posted a very different view to my site here.

    There is a wharf in Moeraki that is also covered in seabirds. It's right behind Fleurs restaurant, and is where the first of my pictures was taken. There are fewer birds there, as that wharf is skeletal, at best.

    I had a look at your pictures of Oamaru. Beautiful! I also like your picture of the Spotted Shags much, much better than mine. You've captured the effect I was hoping to achieve, but don't know how to go about.
  • W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited April 14, 2011
    Lindiwe wrote: »
    There is a wharf in Moeraki that is also covered in seabirds. It's right behind Fleurs restaurant, and is where the first of my pictures was taken. There are fewer birds there, as that wharf is skeletal, at best.
    I didn't see any birds when I was last there, but I'm sure you saw these! nod.gif
    Lindiwe wrote: »
    I had a look at your pictures of Oamaru... You've captured the effect I was hoping to achieve, but don't know how to go about.
    My approach is that, when I've got as close as I can, I get closer! :D

    I hope you enjoyed your trip to New Zealand!
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  • LindiweLindiwe Registered Users Posts: 606 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    We sure did get to see the Moeraki Boulders. And the trip to New Zealand was just awesome. You live in an incredibly beautiful country.
    Thanks for the comments!
  • FlyNavyFlyNavy Registered Users Posts: 1,350 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    Amazing!!! That is a lot of Poo on the ground!
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  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    Good set,its always a challenge to deal with multiple subjects.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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