Pectoral sandpiper

A rare visitor to NZ from the North American -Arctic region- sighted at Lake Ellesmere on Christmas day

Spotted shag at rest

Falcons- masters of the air

These birds are so fearless- that is also why they are so rare- sighting a falcon for me in Canterbury is memorable.

black-fronted terns in courtship flight

Starling's plumage

Love the striking colouration of the white flecks on the starling's breast . Tricky birds to photograph- restless and cautious !

Brighton Beach sunrise at pier

Raupo- golden light

Love the form of Raupo ( bullrushers)

rosey sunset hues - Harper river- Canterbury high country

Caspian tern diving into Te Waihora

Whitebaiting season coming up

Cover shot on Fishing News - 2005

Celebration of godwits in flight 5-5

Celebration of godwits in flight 4-5

Celebration of godwits in flight 3-5

Celebration of godwits in flight 2-5

Celebration of godwits in flight 1-5

Cass River 1995- counting birds in winter

In this photo Denise Fastier and Aalbert R- doing bird counts on river deltas- Mackenzie Country

Laysan Albatross Dec 1995

First record from mainland NZ.

Falcon- male

Bird photographed near Broken River. Larger female nearby.

black-fronted tern

I never tire of seeing these elegant birds, which are now back in breeding plumage.

grey warbler in lattice of winter branches

turnstone in flight - Kaikoura

Counted 25 turnstones at seal Colony car park- some in full breeding plumage. It is unusual for so many to over-winter at Kaikoura ?

Colour banded black oystercatcher at kaikoura

Colour banded black-billed gull

Black shag- short-finned eel predation

Black shag attempting to swallow a short-finned eel

...It failed- eyes bigger than stomach !

Kea in the snow- topical !- not tropical !!!

Reef heron stalking at dusk

Such cool birds- so much more energetic than white-faced herons- real hunters. This bird was photographed last month in the Coromandel

black-fronted tern going for mayfly in mid flight

Will have another go at this shot

Winning photo- O Tu wharekai- Ashburton Lakes photo competition

Sleek and fluid-
Crested grebe
"Puteketeke"

Chestnut teal

Chestnut teal

My first for 30 years birdwatching in NZ and I believe the first for the South Island.

Chestnut teal

At McCormacks Bay- Avon-Heathcote Estuary
5 May 2010

Cloudscapes- North Otago

Great to checkout some new coastline.

Bittern blog now live

The bittern blog is now going for 2010 -
http://bittern- tracker.blogspot .com/
Photos of bitterns willnow be specifically on this informal blog site. So for all you keen bitterners out there !
Rgds
Peter

The tail end of a twelve pound trout caught recently

Finally a double for the season.

BITTERN IN FLIGHT - finally

Taken today in Canterbury !!! Perhaps one of only 30 birds left in the region. After 10 days of looking. My favourite photo ever !!!

damselfly on reeds

black fronted tern

A species likely to be impacted upon by reviews to Water Conservation Orders being effectively abolished in Canterbury under the new regime.

Raupo reflection

I love reed beds- so serene and angular reflections

white capped albatross preening Salvins

Off Kaikoura 20/3/10
Rgds
Peter

Brighton Beach sunrise

Brown skua pack attack on Northern Royal Albatrosss

Ambition

Brown skua pack attack on Northern Royal Albatrosss

Very exciting spectacle- extreme klepto-parasitism . 20 NM off Kaikoura

Arctic skua- juvenile

Mottled Petrel

Not a great photo but shows the classic colouration of Mottled Petrel

Cooks Petrel

After much discussion- the conclusion is this bird, originally thought to be a Gould's Petrel , is most likely a dark Cook's Petrel

Soft-plumaged petrel - a rare visitor from the Sub-Antarctic

Seen 20 miles off Kaikoura 20 March 2010

shoveler duck in flight

Pied stilt reflection

Royal spoonbill

Love the yellow highlight- Andy Wahol style !!!