Up until a couple of weeks ago we were having the most beautiful winter weather in Wellington. We had days of little wind, and reasonable temperatures, which made everyone happy, especially the birds. A sure sign of spring was a pair of warou / welcome swallows appearing at Zealandia! I love these tiny birds, they are so speedy and acrobatic in flight, they dart around at the speed of light like it’s no effort at all.
I’m a bit ambitious with my photography and keep hoping to get a good photo of one in flight, but it’s quite a challenge at Zealandia with the trees as a backdrop. So I’ll settle for some cutely posed photos instead. On two especially calm days I hung out at the upper dam trying to photograph the tūī that were flying over the water. The lighting was amazing and having the birds against a uniform background made focusing easier, but it was still such a challenge to get decent photos, I got one that I’m happy with!
One bird species that are notoriously hard to photograph at Zealandia are the tīeke / saddlebacks. They prefer the darker parts of the forest and are so quick at hopping from branch to branch in search of food. I’ve managed a couple of shots recently that I’m pretty happy with, I’ve come across a few tīeke in nicely lit spots which makes such a huge help when photographing them. The pōpokotea / whiteheads are also challenge, yet somehow in opposite ways, they hang upside down, and are always high up in the forest canopy. I really love these zippy little birds, they hang out in large flocks and create quite a commotion when travelling through the forest.
Sometimes I don’t know how I get any photos of birds at all! They are a huge challenge in so many ways, a lot of photography comes down to being in the right place at the right time, and knowing where to stand to get a good angle. My technique is usually wherever I am, to try and stand in line with the nearest tree so I’m less obvious to the birds, and be as quiet as possible. I think if I can blend into the environment the birds won't be so aware of me, and will carry on with their day as if no-one way watching. I sometimes wonder if being in the birds territories stressed them out so I try to make me being there as harmless as possible. This philosophy aligns with my life philosophy, to live my life with as little negative impact on the environment as possible. I really don’t like the thought of upsetting the creatures I love the most, so wherever I am I’m conscious of giving them space and not making them feel threatened by me. I’ve actually been meaning to write a blog post about ethical birding so watch this space…. In the meantime here are a bunch of photos, all taken with a zoom lens from a safe distance :-)
