Pied Shags

                Takeoff and Landing, a pied shag in breeding colours.

Gull versus Heron

  In this sequence of photos I captured a gull getting territorial over a rock near the Whakatane Rivermouth. A white-faced Heron had landed on the rock and the gull took exception to it and started a swooping attack on the Heron. There was only so much the heron was going to take though and after what was essentially only a few seconds the heron started to fight back. In the final image I'm not sure if the heron was chasing the gull or just leaving the premises.

Caspian Tern struggles with Eel

Caspian Terns are the largest species of tern found in New Zealand and are conspicuous by their bright red beak. They are common residents of the lower Whakatane river and can be spectacular to watch as they perform vertical dives for small fish.

 The other day I was surprised to see one with an eel which was still very much alive and wriggling. The tern was having a hard time holding on to it and the eel kept getting loose and free falling.

The bird wasn't going to let its meal get away and employed some cunning acrobatics to reclaim its dinner.

 I didn't get to see the tern finally swallow the eel but I would suspect it won out in the end.

I have often watched shags trying to eat young eels and just when you think the bird has swallowed the eel it will wriggle back out again! Sometimes the bird takes ages before it finally gets it all the way down. They must taste good to be worth all that effort!

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.

Diving with Common Dolphins

After swimming with Moko at Otarawairere Bay the Whale & Dolphin Watch boat Blue Sky turned towards White Island and headed out to blue water. We were off to locate a school of Common Dolphin to swim with. Before long we spotted the pod and then they were jumping at the Blue Skys' bow causing squeals and cheers from the excited passengers.

We cruised along for a while, sitting on the bow, our legs dangling in the spray watching the dolphins leaping beneath our feet. They were so much smaller than Moko and beautifully marked with soft smudgy grey against warm caramel colour.

Before long the dolphins veered off so Gregg the skipper accelerated the boat and skilfully positioned Blue Sky front of the pod. A group of us lined up along the duckboard at the rear of the boat, the white water of the wake beneath our flippers, masks and snorkels in place. Then we got the signal "go go go!" as the boat stopped. We slipped into the water to mix with the dolphin in their own environment.

For an instant all I could see was a myriad of white bubbles from the wash of the propellers then the first thing that struck me was the incredible blue colour of the water. It was an indescribably intense vibrant blue shot with dancing rays of light. Then suddenly a dolphin zooming effortlessly below me then another two dolphin deep down below the first gave me a real sense of space. The visibility was astounding, I could see forever! One of the dolphins turned on its side to watch me as it swam.
If only I had an underwater camera... or better, an underwater video camera! Its such an amazing experience and difficult to describe accurately. Its a true adrenalin rush. You are miles out from land and in an environment that is so totally NOT our own. But it is incredibly beautiful and the best thing about it is that you are in the dolphins world. Swimming with Moko was a buzz but at the beach he is visiting us in an environment we are comfortable in. Its a whole different experience to put yourself in the world of the dolphin. We were fortunate to strike a day with exceptionally clear water apparently so enjoyed another couple of "drops" into the ocean before it was time to go. Back at Moutohora Island we all enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate. I don't know who made the initial discovery but it appears there is a scientific formula supporting the fact that hot chocolate is THE perfect compliment to a days diving with dolphins! Certainly everyone on board was appreciative of its restorative qualities. I downed mine rather smartly however as I was determined to make the most of the last twenty minutes to check out the rocky coastline in front of the seal colony. Back in the water I scooted towards the shoreline and was captivated by a large school of silver mullet that wound its way beneath me. Golden forests of kelp swayed with the waves, rocks poking through with groups of fat kina atop them. Large purple striped fish hung out near the bottom in clearings between the seaweed. Troy joined me and I pointed out a large warty seaslug I spied below us. (Maybe next time I'll buy a disposable underwater camera.) It was the perfect end to a perfect day!

Moko the Dolphin

Troy phoned from his job at the Whakatane Beacon yesterday afternoon and asked if I'd like an unpaid assignment photographing Moko the dolphin who had arrived in our waters from down the East Cape. Hell Yes!! In half an hour I was at the HQ of "Whale and Dolphin Watch" meeting the tour crew. I was offered a wetsuit but my camera is not an underwater one and I knew I'd get no photos if I had the choice of swimming with Moko or photographing him so I said no. We headed out on "Blue Sky" to Mokos destination near Moutohora Island with 17 people on board including Beacon reporter Sven Carlsson, 4 crew and an assorted group of tourists.

Moko had been amusing himself and the 2 man crew of this little yellow boat by playing up and down the anchor rope watched by Whale & Dolphin watch manager Nino who had been waiting for us in a tiny inflatable dinghy. She picked me up from "Blue Sky" and was my water taxi driver for the whole experience.
The visit was carefully organised, no more than four people in the water at a time and no touching him or approaching him closely. No-one told Moko the rules tho and he was content to swim up to the snorkelers and actively tried to get them to join his game of swimming down the yellow anchor rope of the little boat.
Here Steve from the UK gets to meet Moko. I was surprised at how big Moko was as I was used to seeing the Common Dolphin species usually seen in our waters. Moko is a bottlenosed dolphin with an estimated length of three metres.

This was Elise, one of the Blue Sky crew who fell in love with Moko. He thought she was great too because she would swim down the anchor rope right to the bottom his snout inches from her hands as she pulled herself down. At one stage he nodded his head at her, she nodded back, he wiggled his body, she wiggled back and then he zoomed right up to her faced, stopped and put the end of his nose on hers. She came to the surface and declared "He Kissed Me!!!
Before long all the tourists were back in the boat, Elise remained in the water to tell me where he was going to come up so I could get the last few shots.

All of a sudden he was right under our tiny boat about ten foot down and I saw the most perfect bubble ring rise up to the surface and pop next to me. What an enchanting creature! Back on board Blue Sky we motored away to have refreshments at a nearby Bay at the Island and Moko followed for a while riding our wake as we went. He gave me my best shot of the day.

At Moutuhora (Whale Island) some of the tourists got back in the water near a small group of seals on the rocks overhung by ancient pohutukawa trees. The sun was out by now and I was so regretting not grabbing a wetsuit (not for the first time that day!) While the seals preferred to remain unsociable the swimmers explored the beauty of the undersea life surrounding the sanctuary of Moutohora Island. I was happy to entertain myself photographing the seals. Finally we headed home, all of us buzzing over our experiences. This young man Tague, a fellow collector, was especially happy with his latest treasure.

After seeing Moko I can't help but fear for his future. He has such a faith in human nature and I have a gut feeling that will be his downfall. He is a wild creature and deserves to be able to exist as such. His strange fascination with people is perplexing. He is a bottlenosed dolphin not often seen in these parts but why does he not seek out his own kind? His ability to interact with us makes it so hard to resist wanting to interact back, to observe him in his own environment, to be delighted by his antics. He touched everyone that was there that day and I don't mean physically. But he has already had a taste of what mankind is capable of on a beach down in Gisborne when a crowd of youths reportedly hit him and there were reports of a woman at Omaio hitting him with an oar. He can be a bit "pushy" apparently and after playing with people he tries to stop them leaving especially if they are on kayaks or similar.
I hope he stays offshore where his contact with humans is limited. The crew of the Blue Sky had the utmost respect for him and made sure their patrons did the same but we can't be sure everyone else will have the same attitude. In a way the situation with Moko reflects a lot of what my art is about -mankinds treatment and interaction with nature. Lets hope this story has a happy ending. Kia Kaha Moko!


Many Thanks to Whale and Dolphin Watch Whakatane, the crew of Blue Sky and Whakatane Beacon for such a memorable experience.

http://www.whalesanddolphin.co.nz/

A Birds Eye View

I know this blog is supposed to be about art and wildlife but now and then something special happens that I just have to share. Over the New Year period we had whole lot of family and friends come to stay so that our large back yard was turned into a camping ground. My sister and her hubby and kids plus friends the Inglis family came from Tauranga so along with my Mum and Dad we took them out to show them the tourist attractions in the area. After they did the maze made out of Maize in Otakiri we visited Julians Berry Farm for famous berry ice-creams and because Troy wanted to surprise my Dad with a helicopter flight. Well it turned out you needed two passengers to get the whole ten mins so before I knew it I also had a ticket! Now I'm not normally chicken...well actually I am when it comes to fast things with motors so I waited rather anxiously (wishing I could have a nervous pee!) for the helicopter to come back to pick us up. Before long we were strapped in and what a freaky feeling as we lifted off! But from then on it was very smooth and sedate and WHAT A VIEW! So check this out. These are pics of my home town. The Whakatane River, mudflats on the right where I photograph herons and such.
My Dad enjoying the view of the road to Kohi point and Otarawairere Bay.

The West End of beautiful Ohope Beach, Otarawairere Bay & the Whakatane Heads.

Whakatane West, Awatapu Lagoon, Landing Rd Bridge & Whakatane Board Mills.

By the end of the flight I wanted the pilot to fly really low so I could get a feel of how fast we were going but unfortunately aerobatics were forbidden but at least I had conquered my nerves. I can so reccomend this experience, the time up in the air is quite generous and the scenery is awesome. Thanks to Mark & Leeanne from Harbour City Helicopters for a brilliant day.

Widdle birrrds

Along the Whakatane Riverbank between the yacht club and the skate bowl there is a short boardwalk to the frog pond. I have visited three mornings in a row and been rewarded with some nice shots of small birds, finches, sparrows and fantails feeding and collecting nesting material among the reeds and toi toi that grows there. Its lovely on a sunny day. Once the homeless degenerates that sleep under the boardwalk have cleared out its a nice place to sit and be serenaded by the frogs and trilling & cheeping finches.

This little guy is a male greenfinch singing his little heart out to impress a chick. It works and his girlfriend turns up but...typical female is very demanding and wants him to feed her. (I can relate to that.) Its all part of the courtship thing - she needs to know he will be a good provider for their chicks plus it supplies her with the extra nutrition needed to lay the eggs etc.

This male sparrow is collecting toi toi fibres for nesting material.

A pair of goldfinches land in the bullrushes and one targets the web from a nursery spiders nest. The finch collected a beakful, flew off to wherever its nest was, then returned twice til the web was all gone. It then found another web and repeated the excercise.

What a cutie! And finally, one of my favourites - a fantail catches bugs on the wing without fear of my long lens. At time he is too close to focus on! What a great start to the day.

Frogs, Eels, Banded Rails & Spoonbills.

Last Tuesday I was on the stopbank by the skate park and heard frogs. I ventured down the boardwalk to the small pond behind the supermarket carpark and there, on a small log sat the most georgous brownish green frog, very fat and well camouflaged! I took some photos then realised there was another frog sitting on the other end of the log. A lovely green frog with intriguing patterns in its back - a face? I've always loved frogs & as a kid I kept many as pets. Disturbing to hear reports their numbers are in decline due to global warming or pollution so great to find these two!

Another creature I love is the eel and I often see them cruising the edge of the river. I know for a fact the herons love eels also although in a different capacity! I have more than once witnessed a shag or heron pull a young eel out of the water, the bird then faced with the difficulty of trying to swallow its catch while the eel has wrapped itself tightly around the birds bill! Catching them is the easy part - swallowing them presents a whole new set of difficulties.

I was amazed to spot a pair of banded rails down on the mudflat! Very timid birds and I got a couple of pics but only from a distance, they were quick to spot me and ran for cover.

AND the best news of the day was that the spoonbills are back. Well the first pair anyway. The most we had last winter was seven with a usual total of three or four. They arrive at least a month before the Kotuku and stay about a month longer. I am expecting a pair to stay in the area to breed before too long since they have begun to breed in other areas of the country rather than restrict themselves to Okarito. These two looked in wonderful condition with glossy white plumage.

The Egret Hunter.

I saw the egret again at Awatapu lagoon but its SO timid. I can't get very close at all and he seems to know I'm stalking him. Its not an easy place to sneak up on him either. I have observed him for long enough now to recognise his feeding patterns so I got ahead of him around the bend and scrambled down a bank hiding in the bushes to wait for him to get there. I thought I'd sit still and quiet and give him 40 minutes. After 3 minutes I noticed a funny smell. After 5 minutes I had bugs crawling up my shirt. After 7 minutes the dampness from the ground had soaked into my jeans. After 9 minutes I got cramp in my leg! Stuff it I thought and started back up the bank and nearly stood on a huge dead rat laying on the ground - so thats what that smell was! I got to the top of the bank to see the egret flying past....BUGGER. So much for the surveillance, I hadn't lasted ten minutes! Thats why all my photos of the egret are of it flying off into the wild blue yonder.

The coot babies at Sullivans lake are growing fast. Another coot family further around the lake haven't been so lucky. One of the babies was killed by a pukeko I've been told. They can be very territorial those pooks. Mind you I've seen the coot parents chase bigger birds away from the nest without any problem pukekos included.

I'm happy to say the coots get better looking as they grow up. A classic case of "ugly duckling syndrome" to be sure.