Bills Dove - R.I.P.

After photographing the falcon eyeing up Bills doves yesterday I kept checking the norfollk pine today to see if he was back. Unfortunately he was a no -show however... Late this afternoon I peered over the back fence to see a white patch in the grass a little way along the stopbank. On closer inspection it turned out to be a scattering of white feathers! Dove feathers.
Oh Dear. This was bad on a number of levels. Firstly, that I had missed all the action. I'm not into blood and gore (despite what people may have thought after seeing my sculptures at the summer arts) but if you are a wildlife film-maker which would you prefer, filming a leopard relaxing in a tree or a leopard running down and catching a gazelle? Same principle. I want to capture the drama.
Secondly, I think Bill is getting a little low on doves and when he has none left there'll be nothing to attract the falcon. I'd better find out when his birthday is and buy him some more.

Raptor Raptures

I was painting the deck at Mum and Dads yesterday when the local tui started nutting off. I looked up to see a falcon land in the top of the neighbours Norfolk Pine Tree! I just love falcons but they are even less common than the kiwi so unfortunately you don't get to see wild ones very often. This one has a bit of a rep in the neighbourhood due to its sporadic raids on a flock of doves kept by Bill who lives two doors down. Fortunately Bill appreciates what an awesome bird the falcon is, in fact he's a bit of a fan like me.

My photos aren't the best quality but they are good enough to show the distinctive "tear stains" the dark marks below the eyes that make the falcon easy to identify if you are close enough. Our other common raptor, the Australasian Harrier (most of us know them simply as "hawks") are quite a bit larger than the Falcon and are more often seen soaring over grassland or cruising the side of the roads looking for roadkill.

The falcon has quite a different style of flight and hunting and I reccomend anyone that is interested in our birds of prey to visit the "Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust" in Rotorua. Once you have seen these birds in action you will appreciate how different they truly are. www.wingspan.co.nz/ If you can't organise a visit just check out the next $20 note you pull out of your wallet cos thats the falcon on it.

And by a strange coincidence I took these shots (below) of a Harrier just this afternoon. I took Billy the WonderDog out for his run a little earlier than usual and as he was poking about under the woodpile sniffing out a bunny this harrier came over the shelterbelt, probably looking for the same rabbit.

I can't usually get decent pics of our local hawks as they have eyes like a... well... hawk and swerve away as soon as they see me. This one however circled twice above me before heading off over the paddocks.

The afternoon sun showed off his lovely rusty colour and just check out his yellow eyes in the last shot. In an older bird the plumage gets paler, some old birds look almost white. The young birds are dark by comparison.

Autumn morning.

This morning felt very autumnal or in other words a bit bloody cold on the bare feet while sneaking out onto the Apanui saltmarsh mudflats to photograph a spoonbill. Another sure sign that autumn is here - the spoonbills have been down in the South Island breeding and this one is the first to return to its winter feeding grounds here in Whakatane. There are lots of factors that go into making the perfect photo. Subject is one, lighting, focus, backgound, timing, etc etc etc. These things only very rarely combine to make the perfect shot. Todays photo of a heron alighting on its morning perch came pretty close except for one major factor. Obviously I didn't get the whole bird in the shot!!! It took me by surprise so I didn't have the time to zoom out enough. Thats one disadvantage of such a large heavy lens but only a poor photographer blames his/her gear so I admit it - I stuffed up a great shot. And I'm spitting tacks over it.

This shot is quite cool. I just love the little fish jumping out of the water to the right of the pic. I didn't see him when I was taking the shot and only noticed it later. Of course it would have been even better if I had taken it about ten minutes later after the sun had come up over the point as it had done in my last shot.

Then the light was lovely and I was just waiting for some more fish to come along so I could get an action shot. I waited & waited & waited..... & waited.... til I couldn't feel my toes. Ok I gotta get real and accept that it truly is Autumn now and I really do need to start wearing shoes again ha ha.

New lens

I bought a new 18-75mm image stabilised lens last week. I have been putting it through its paces today and have been suitably impressed. Above is a photo of the kowhai moth caterpillar that the cuckoos have been feeding on.

Didn't want to get too close to these little nasties.

A praying mantis checks me out. This one was on the glass at the back door. I can't understand how it can get a grip on the glass with those feet?

New Studio

This is my new studio - a mix of science laboratory, artists studio, library and greenhouse for my carnivorous plant collection. I find that to surround myself with the things that interest me helps to stimulate my creativity. It's very small compared to my last studio, definitely a downsize but I can fit everything I need in this modest space. It may seem a little cluttered and in reality it can only get more cluttered as time goes on but more is better when it comes to my collections, skulls, insects, old cameras, shells, plants that eat things.....aaah heaven!

Pitcher plants are awesome!

This is Virgil, my venus flytrap. I feed him bugs now and then but yesterday he caught a fly all on his own!