# Outdoors > Photography and Video >  Birds

## phillipgr

A couple photos I've taken recently. Add one to the thread if you like.

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## Munsey

I like the second one , good skills

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## R93

The first would be very rare!i would suspect? I don't think I have ever in all my time in the scrub seen a morpork in daylight. Awesome shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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## phillipgr

> The first would be very rare!i would suspect? I don't think I have ever in all my time in the scrub seen a morpork in daylight. Awesome shot.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Thanks mate. I was very lucky to see that fella out in the middle of the day, must've been 1.30. That pic was in the Kaimanawas.

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## phillipgr

> I like the second one , good skills


Thanks mate, that was in Fiordland on my trip just before.

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## sAsLEX

> The first would be very rare!i would suspect? I don't think I have ever in all my time in the scrub seen a morpork in daylight. Awesome shot.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Check this out - Roaring Reds of Rugged South - Episode 4 - YouTube

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## Dundee

I have a few but this is my favourite  :Grin:  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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## Dundee

Just kidding off to the dog box now,mint pics :Cool:

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## phillipgr

Hahaha true OPCz style

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## big_foot

I thought you'd final got us a pic of the librarian :Oh Noes:

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## Spook



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## Happy

What'd that taste like ?   :Grin:

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## Spook

> What'd that taste like ?


Who in their right mind would eat a hawk...only have to go to your local town for KFC.
I spotted it while getting the cows in one day, so went back the next day with camera...couldn't believe how big they are before fending for themselves...a bit like some of the teenagers still at home.

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## veitnamcam



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## Dundee

Its a bird :Grin:

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## Looseunit

couple taken lately

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## JoshC

Good thread idea. I like birds. Just did a hoon through my photobucket album, and found these ones below.

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## phillipgr

Love those photos Looseunit and JoshC!

Classic Robins, they're not very shy! I had one alight on my knee in Fiordland

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## sAsLEX

> Love those photos Looseunit and JoshC!
> 
> Classic Robins, they're not very shy! I had one alight on my knee in Fiordland


Found they would peck at our laces if you stood still for long enough!

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## Dundee



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## Rushy

Sticking its neck out for you to lop it off Dundee

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## muzza

couple from this weekend







In all fairness - it was at the Paradise Valley Park in Rotorua , but I thought they were pretty good for me . Only cropped and resized , dunno how to do any photoshop stuff.

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## P38

Taken on the way out to Cape Kidnappers a couple of weekend ago.


Straight off the camera.

Cheers
Pete

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## Maca49

W

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## Toby

No school yesterday went hunting found this cool guy

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## Dynastar27

> Its a bird Attachment 21295


Good looking bird dundee

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## Dynastar27

> Attachment 21475


did that one end up in the oven

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## Dundee

Parrie hen

Parrie drake

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## Dundee

The pukeko,trough shitter,silage wripper or swamp hen and duckling killer has 23 days left.....legit anyway :Grin:

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## Rushy

Just shoot the bugger Dundee.  It's shit in your troughs is gonna cause your cows to get sick so call it pest eradication.

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## Dundee



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## 10-Ring

Tuis squabbling after a rainstorm.

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## kiwisidoo

Nice shot of that bird 
Not sure on the buorbon

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## Munsey



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## Dundee

What is that one Munsey?

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## 10-Ring



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## Dundee

fark that bush robin got more jewelry than the wife. :Grin:

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## Kaweka_Neil

Might be lucky if he can get off that branch ...!!

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## 10-Ring

> fark that bush robin got more jewelry than the wife.


Yeah, he was on an island in the sounds, forget the name of it. One of those DOC protected places. No dogs etc allowed.

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## 10-Ring



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## 10-Ring



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## square1



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## 10-Ring



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## Munsey

> What is that one Munsey?


I'm pretty sure I'm right it's a "rifleman " . I'm also sure it's our smallest native

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## jknavara



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## 10-Ring

Look at the eyes on that falcon. Apparently they have eight times better eyesight than a human with perfect 20/20 vision.

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## Scouser

Awesome photos 10 Ring.......you really capture their beauty mate!!!!!!!

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## veitnamcam

> Look at the eyes on that falcon. Apparently they have eight times better eyesight than a human with perfect 20/20 vision.


Im often jealous of predatory birds vision,that and their ability to fly.

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## veitnamcam

Couple of shitty phone pics.

Attachment 23226



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## veitnamcam

Barstard why did only one show up?

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## Dundee

> Barstard why did only one show up?


It flew away :Have A Nice Day:

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## veitnamcam

Its there if you click the link

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## mikee

> Barstard why did only one show up?


More to the point, why were you not working today or do you have kea's at work??

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## veitnamcam

Old phone pic, have a morepork and wood pigion stuck in a program on pc I cant remember how to get out too :36 1 5:  :3 8 14:  :3 8 14:  :3 8 14:  :15 8 212:  :Slow:

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## EeeBees

> I'm pretty sure I'm right it's a "rifleman " . I'm also sure it's our smallest native


My favouritest of all native birds...

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## 10-Ring

> Awesome photos 10 Ring.......you really capture their beauty mate!!!!!!!


Thanks Scouser.

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## GravelBen

A few of the many from Stewart Island over Easter:

Albatross by gravelben, on Flickr

Albatross by gravelben, on Flickr

Albatross by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Scouser

Brilliant GB, what Megapixel is your camera? they are really clear shots!!!!!

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## Toby

Is it me or do those birds look like animated birds?

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## GravelBen

Cheers - 10mp, its an ~8yr old Nikon D80 thats about due for replacement! 

To be honest some of the 20mp+ stuff around now is mostly just so the marketing people can quote a big number, unless you're printing poster size or bigger there isn't much point.

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## GravelBen

@Pengy

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## Gibo

> @Pengy
> 
> Attachment 23440
> 
> Attachment 23441


Looks like you had a hard weekend @Pengy  :Psmiley:

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## Rushy

> Looks like you had a hard weekend @Pengy


Is it me or does he look a little jaundiced Gibo? May need a good dose of Waikato.

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## Pengy

> Is it me or does he look a little jaundiced Gibo? May need a good dose of Waikato.


NO Comment !

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## Rushy

> NO Comment !


You must be sick then. The yellow gives it away. Ha ha ha ha.

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## Gibo

> Is it me or does he look a little jaundiced Gibo? May need a good dose of Waikato.


Agree, i had to ask the mrs what that thing kids get when they go yellow but you nailed it already  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Dundee

yellow eyed @Pengy  :Grin:

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## Pengy

I feel like Charlie Brown !

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## Rushy

> I feel like Charlie Brown !


Poor bugger.  When you coming up for that salami session with Barefoot.

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## GravelBen

> salami session


 :Wtfsmilie:  Is that what you call it these days!?

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## Gibo

> Is that what you call it these days!?


+1  :Wtfsmilie:

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## Pengy

Haha, Keep em guessing Rushy .
Not sure when I will be back in the big smoke.

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## Gibo

> Haha, Keep em guessing Rushy .
> Not sure when I will be back in the big smoke.


Smoking big ones, salami parties.... :Wtfsmilie:  you old boys are freaks!!!

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## Rushy

> Smoking big ones, salami parties.... you old boys are freaks!!!


Give it time Gibo. You will be inducted one day.

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## 10-Ring

> Cheers - 10mp, its an ~8yr old Nikon D80 thats about due for replacement! 
> 
> To be honest some of the 20mp+ stuff around now is mostly just so the marketing people can quote a big number, unless you're printing poster size or bigger there isn't much point.


You're dead right about that. Only advantage with a high MP camera is to crop in; which is no substitute for getting it right in the first place.

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## GravelBen

What glass are you using @10-Ring? Really nice sharp images! I just picked up a cheap 400mm prime on tardme, should get me in a bit closer!

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## GravelBen

Fantail (2) by gravelben, on Flickr

Fantail (3) by gravelben, on Flickr

Waxeyes (3) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Dundee

Amazed the fantail sat still long enough.

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## Gibo

> Fantail (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
> 
> Fantail (3) by gravelben, on Flickr
> 
> Waxeyes (3) by gravelben, on Flickr


That 1st ones cool! Sure he's saying something about short birds that cant fly eh  @Pengy  :Psmiley:

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## GravelBen

> Amazed the fantail sat still long enough.


It was tricky, kept coming too close to focus with that lens and I'd have to step away to take a photo! Tame as, thought it was gonna land on the camera like the one that landed on my rifle barrel down Stewart Island.

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## Dundee

Yeah I've had one land on my fishing rod but shit they don't sit still.

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## muzza

Heron at Stewart Island

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## 10-Ring

> What glass are you using @10-Ring? Really nice sharp images! I just picked up a cheap 400mm prime on tardme, should get me in a bit closer!


I mainly use a Nikon 200 f/2 VR II or a Zeiss 100 f2 Makro Planar. Camera is a Nikon D800E or Nikon D3. Wouldn't mind a Nikon 400 f/2.8 but they're about $14,000 and I wouldn't get enough use out of it nowadays. 

Good luck with your new lens; 400mm is a great focal length for most wildlife.

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## GravelBen

Nice kit!  :Thumbsup: 

Most of my mine are from a D80 with 80-200 f/2.8 D, 18-70 kit lens and 50mm f/1.8 (which is reversed for macro). But just upgraded to a D7000 last week and loving it! The 400mm isn't super fancy, its a Tokina ATX f/5.6. Quite impressed with it so far though, especially for $110!

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## GravelBen

Bird on branch (2). by gravelben, on Flickr

Tiny bird. by gravelben, on Flickr

Waxeye on leaf. by gravelben, on Flickr

Otago Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Gibo

Whats that top bird gb? Looks like a wax-eye on the hooch  :Grin:

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## GravelBen

Not really sure but maybe a bellbird?

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## Dundee

> Not really sure but maybe a bellbird?


I'm guessing a young robin :Wink:

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## GravelBen

> I'm guessing a young robin


But where is batman?

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## Dundee

dinner dinner dinner :Thumbsup:

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## Gibo

> dinner dinner dinner


nah nah nah is batman , you have the theme song for fatman!

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## GravelBen

Pretty happy with this one!

Waxeye (2) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Gibo

Unreal detail man! Great pic

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## jack

that is an amazing photo :Thumbsup:

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## Maca49

> dinner dinner dinner


I had a young Robin once, she was delicious ! :Wink:

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## Bushrash

Don't have a lot of pics of birds of the feathered variety :Zomg:  ,,did take a few pics of this young'in a while back,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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## Gibo

Chuck up the pics of the other birds  :Wink:   :Wink:

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## veitnamcam



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## veitnamcam

Cant get rid of extra pics?

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## EeeBees

> Pretty happy with this one!


And rightly so, beautiful...

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## Dundee

Few of these fluttering around today :Grin:

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## Dundee

Must be time to go fishing :Grin:

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## GravelBen

A few seagulls down by the river today...

Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

And the grand finale...

Seagull in motion by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Dundee

Great shots GB, :Grin:  that last one was shit

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## teFerrarri



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## teFerrarri

Photographed in our garden amongst approx thirty other tui,feeding on Prunus campanulata late August 2013. The colouration is known as Luesistic, occurring in one in 10,000 birds. Two others were photographed around Hamilton during the same period, all with varying degrees of pale colouration

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## Dundee

> Attachment 27062Attachment 27063
> 
> Photographed in our garden amongst approx thirty other tui,feeding on Prunus campanulata late August 2013. The colouration is known as Luesistic, occurring in one in 10,000 birds. Two others were photographed around Hamilton during the same period, all with varying degrees of pale colouration


Good one teFerrari I tried once or twice on here explaining about the colour  (luesistic) of a pukeko

So I shot it! :Grin:

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## Rushy

Dundee I found a cattle tick on my mates sister once and I kept it in a little glass jar.  My mates name was Lewis so I called it Lews sis tick.  Ha ha ha ha lame eh?

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## GravelBen

Some big fat wood pigeons up in the bush yesterday!

NZ wood pigeon (1) by gravelben, on Flickr

NZ wood pigeon (5) by gravelben, on Flickr

NZ wood pigeon (3) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## GravelBen

Somehow managed to snap an ADHD fantail in flight too...

NZ fantail in flight (1) by gravelben, on Flickr

NZ fantail in flight (2) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Scouser

> Good one teFerrari I tried once or twice on here explaining about the colour  (luesistic) of a pukeko
> 
> So I shot it!
> Attachment 27064


Fuk Dundee....your a worry......'so i shot it'........priceless!!!!!!!!!

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## Scouser

> Attachment 27062Attachment 27063
> 
> Photographed in our garden amongst approx thirty other tui,feeding on Prunus campanulata late August 2013. The colouration is known as Luesistic, occurring in one in 10,000 birds. Two others were photographed around Hamilton during the same period, all with varying degrees of pale colouration



WOW....didnt even know they exist.......great photo thanks TF......

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## Dundee

> WOW....didnt even know they exist.......great photo thanks TF......


Also the black swan can get this colour phase.

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## GravelBen

Why not another seagull... stopped by the river on the way home from work.

Another seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

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## GravelBen

Bellbird (1) by gravelben, on Flickr

Fantail on branch by gravelben, on Flickr

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## K95

Kea on the tops yesterday. 


DSC_0111 by AckleyImproved, on Flickr

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## Gibo

> Kea on the tops yesterday. 
> 
> 
> DSC_0111 by AckleyImproved, on Flickr


What an awesome pic man!! Thats some book cover shit right there  :Thumbsup:

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## JoshC

They're quite photogenic the old keas eh. That photo reminded me of this;

"Boss, what the f is that thing?"




"Ahhh Boss, I'm not keen on the way that prick's lookn at me"




 :Grin:

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## Gibo

That there looks a tad steep Josh  :Wtfsmilie:

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## K95

My dog and I were sitting on an old logging skid site one evening glassing some clearings and some keas joined us. One of them hopped along the same log the dog was on and she started looking at me really nervous so I told her to stay there, the kea bounced along slowly and when the dog looked around at me it bit onto her foot. Jesus did the poor dog scream. :Grin:

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## Rushy

Keas are bastards as well though.

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## Dundee

> Keas are bastards as well though.


Yip saw a documentary on the buggers the other day.  "They are pretty but cunts" :Grin:

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## GravelBen

Cool when you see a bunch of them doing formation aerobatics though!

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## Dundee

> Cool when you see a bunch of them doing formation aerobatics though!


Didn't load up GB

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## GravelBen

I tried to be clever and link straight to old photos on facebook, didn't work. Try these instead:

Kea aerobatics (2) by gravelben, on Flickr

Kea aerobatics (1) by gravelben, on Flickr

Guess that place is called Kea Basin for a reason!

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## Gibo

I guess you had to be there Ben? They look like they are simply 'flying'  :Psmiley:

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## GravelBen

Now you lot inspired me to look through my old Kea photos and sharpen them up a bit... this one was thinking about stealing the camera.

Kea (#4) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## EeeBees

I can understand it wanting to steal your camera...if you can have the highlights of the beads of dew with such luminosity...wicked...

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## GravelBen

Here is another one watching you:

Kea on roof (#1) by gravelben, on Flickr

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## GravelBen

Crafty shag on the rocks...

Blue Shag by gravelben, on Flickr

Red-billed Gull by gravelben, on Flickr

Impressive the way these guys know where the worms are, it got 3 or 4 while I was watching

Song Thrush by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Gibo

Cool pics ben, that shag got a torn webbing on its foot?

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## Dundee

> Cool pics ben, that shag got a torn webbing on its foot?


And shitting pebbles :Grin:

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## muzza

I dont have flash gear - just a Canon SX30 point and shoot but I get a few ok pics.

Heres a wood pigeon from a very windy walk this afternoon

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## GravelBen

> Cool pics ben, that shag got a torn webbing on its foot?


Yep looks like it. I thought I'd taken photos of a different shag later on, but it has the same torn webbing so i guess it was the same one in a different place.

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## Gibo

> Yep looks like it. I thought I'd taken photos of a different shag later on, but it has the same torn webbing so i guess it was the same one in a different place.


Shags crack me up. The size of fish they can stuff in their gobs always blows me away. Guess the males of the species have it made?  :Wink:   :XD:

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## GravelBen

Starlings are shiny when the sun hits them!

Starling by gravelben, on Flickr

Starling by gravelben, on Flickr

Sparrow by gravelben, on Flickr

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## Dundee

> Starlings are shiny when the sun hits them!
> 
> Starling by gravelben, on Flickr
> 
> Starling by gravelben, on Flickr
> 
> Sparrow by gravelben, on Flickr


Better when a bullrt hitsa  dem :Wink:

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## Spoon

Very shiny! I'm with Dundee on his one though, they look better dead  :Have A Nice Day:

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## GravelBen

Think the neighbours might complain if I start shooting the birds on their roof with a rifle instead of a camera!

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## Spoon

> Think the neighbours might complain if I start shooting the birds on their roof with a rifle instead of a camera!


They wouldn't hear/notice a .177 air pistol  :Wink:

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## phillipgr

Great pics @GravelBen . What do you shoot with?

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## GravelBen

Cheers @phillipgr, I use a Nikon D7000 SLR. Most of the bird photos are shot with either a Tokina 400mm f5.6 or Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 lens.

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## phillipgr

> Cheers @phillipgr, I use a Nikon D7000 SLR. Most of the bird photos are shot with either a Tokina 400mm f5.6 or Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 lens.


Cool mate. Most of that is a foreign language to me but interesting nonetheless. I get to see some pretty awesome stuff when I head into the hills; sometimes I think I should invest in a good camera to capture some of it.

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## time out

Fabulous pictures in this thread - amazing features that we rarely see in our birds

Often see this guy at the yards -

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## muzza

Heres a few from a recent trip to Westport

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## time out

Backyard birds -

Sits on the lawn or house most days - dirty buggar shit all over the garage door yesterday when he took off 


If you are going to sit round for a couple of weeks - might as well smell the roses

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## Rushy

Herons used to walk the sides of our pool and pick beetles from the skimmer

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## savage270

spent hours n hours trying to get a decent pic of a hawk. Ended up snapping this out the window of the ute on the way home.




Nz Harrier Hawk 2 by nz300wsm, on Flickr

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## Gibo

Fantastic shot!! Man they are built for it arn't they  :Grin:

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## GravelBen

Black-billed gulls hanging around the house yesterday:

Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

Seagulls by gravelben, on Flickr

Seagull by gravelben, on Flickr

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## rs200nz

Very Plump!

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## Kiwi-Hunter

> Thanks mate, that was in Fiordland on my trip just before.


Is that the north arm? Like the pic of the pork I used to have them at home 25 years ago, I am working to get them back.
KH

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## phillipgr

> Is that the north arm? Like the pic of the pork I used to have them at home 25 years ago, I am working to get them back.
> KH


Sorry mate. That's lake Manapouri you can see in the photo.

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## Kiwi-Hunter

> Sorry mate. That's lake Manapouri you can see in the photo.


Not that far north ,hope arm.
KH

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## time out

Eyeballed a few birds yesterday - raining so pics not great 
Saw a lot of young pheasants but most didnt stick around - 



Saw a lot of Quail - looks like a great breeding season - this guy was up on the yards singing - family and about twenty chicks stayed on the ground 



Will be a lot of Kingfisher noise coming out of here in a week or two - he stayed up in a tree screeching at me

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## Petros_mk

Haven't been following this thread. but I'll thrown one at it.

I took the dog for a walk today on Mt Vicotria (Devonport - Auckland)....just at sunset, and came accross a quiet spot with a tree, rather dark corner....
Froze instantly when I saw an owl... I've lived 12 years in NZ and always thought there were no owls present in this country...

Got my phone out but it was too dark....

Figure that, a owl in Auckland out of all the places ive been around the country!
Anyone seen owls around here ?

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## Pointer

It's a morepork you knob. Bloody immirants  :Psmiley:  

I bet you have heard them before and not known what you are hearing  :Cool:

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## GravelBen

There a few different types of owls here, native moreporks and some introduced ones as well.

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## Petros_mk

> It's a morepork you knob. Bloody immirants  
> 
> I bet you have heard them before and not known what you are hearing


Thanks knob. Google beat you to it... 
But yea, haven't seen one in NZ before...

Hahaha at first when I saw the Google search result, cracked up laughing at the name More-Pork... definitely Muslims won't be fond of this bird...

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## Munsey

South Island has the little brown owl . It's common to see during the day just perched up on a tree or rock .  Thanks gravel Ben and Google , didn't realise they where  introduced .

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## Matt2308

> South Island has the little brown owl . It's common to see during the day just perched up on a tree or rock .  Thanks gravel Ben and Google , didn't realise they where  introduced .


Saw one a few days ago, first one I have seen here.

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## Allgood

Fantail in bush.................

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## Gibo

Friendly Hahei fantail

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## GravelBen

Friendly bush Robins and Tomtits:

NZ Bush Robin by gravelben, on Flickr
NZ Bush Robin by gravelben, on Flickr
NZ Bush Robin by gravelben, on Flickr
NZ Bush Robin by gravelben, on Flickr
NZ TomTit by gravelben, on Flickr

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## kidmac42

Was out on an armed walk one day when this guy sat about ten feet away

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## Dreamer

Our alpine parrot

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## Scouser

Brilliant photos Dreamer, you can really see the plumage!

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## veitnamcam

One thing about the destructive little buggers is they like to come in close for photos  :Thumbsup:

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## Dundee

Snapped this cheeky bugger in the silver fern today.

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## GravelBen

A fatty I spotted in the bush on Saturday:

Kereru by Ben, on Flickr

Kereru by Ben, on Flickr

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## Dundee

Hope it stays fat and that bro doesn't find it :Grin:

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## Nick.m

Kea by Nick Moss, on Flickr
Kea by Nick Moss, on Flickr
P1030093 by Nick Moss, on Flickr
Blue Duck (Whio) by Nick Moss, on Flickr
NZ Pipit by Nick Moss, on Flickr
Yellow Crowned Parakeet by Nick Moss, on Flickr
North Island Robin by Nick Moss, on Flickr
NZ Pipit by Nick Moss, on Flickr

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## time out

The birds seem pretty happy - about 30 in that family - sorry a crap SX260  camera - 20x at about 80m
Also saw a few chooks and roosters during the day - shows the benefits of reduced predator numbers - but there was a cat and her family round there a few weeks back that I cant catch her  :Pissed Off:

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## time out

I dont see a lot of exotic birds - but if it has feathers - I cant resist taking a few pictures 
I love the Kingfisher and the way they operate - especially round nesting season 
I was checking a trap line yesterday and went past a pond of water - he was sitting in a manuka above the water and we looked at each other for about ten minutes - he wasnt going anywhere
About 10m and close to 20x on my SX260 that is always on my belt - I need to upgrade but it must be very compact

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## JoshC

Kingfishers are awesome. Don't see many down here.

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## Falconstare

The second is great!

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## Dundee

Feeding the waxeyes some milk.

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## doinit

Something a little different,quite rare actually.

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## doinit

Just to add, 
The above albino Weka was last seen with one normal coloured chick and one white one. However, despite notifying DOC of this unique mother and her white chick they just were not interested. The birds area was poisoned and the rare birds have not been seen since. This was the third confirmed sighting of a true Albino Weka in NZ.
I was somewhat gob smacked that DOC didn't give a toss.

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## R93

Where abouts roughly did you see it mate? We have thousands of the bastards all over our district. I have never seen a white one.

It would make a good mount for the Dundee lounge😆



Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

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## Munsey

> Just to add, 
> The above albino Weka was last seen with one normal coloured chick and one white one. However, despite notifying DOC of this unique mother and her white chick they just were not interested. The birds area was poisoned and the rare birds have not been seen since. This was the third confirmed sighting of a true Albino Weka in NZ.
> I was somewhat gob smacked that DOC didn't give a toss.


Imagine the uproar if the deer stalkers ass had shot it .  It's like the school boy who cleaned up the kea with a stone throw , he got on a power of shit .  The thing was it wasn't long after doc  killed 40% of the okareto ( spelling) kea .

----------


## doinit

> Where abouts roughly did you see it mate? We have thousands of the bastards all over our district. I have never seen a white one.
> 
> It would make a good mount for the Dundee lounge😆
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


Yeah,were large numbers at my last abode mate,untill the drops became more frequent. I spent a lot of time chasing the Albino's movements,only one I've seen in my life time.
It was first seen on the Karamea Bluff, fifteen minutes from home at the time.
What really pissed me off was that DOC could have caught the Albino real easy and at least relocated it and the chick,pricks.

----------


## veitnamcam

Here in Nelson the Weka is making a real come back in suburbia where they obviously are not poisoned, in the bush not so much.
I am right in town now but across the street is a very small block of gorse and old mans beard etc and I often watch a family of weka and a black cat and a tabby cat that hunt the area any evening its not raining heavily.
Weka seam to hold their own against cats just fine.

----------


## time out

> A fatty I spotted in the bush on Saturday:
> 
> Kereru by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> Kereru by Ben, on Flickr


Fabulous pictures GravelBen

I saw this in the BOP Times yesterday - Citizen Scientists asked to spot the Kereru from this Saturday to next Sunday - 14,000 Kereru spotted last year -
Great Kereru Count 2015 | Kereru Discovery

----------


## kiwijames

Wekas, wekas, wekas!!!!!!
Crazy stuff. Iv not seen a NI weka ever. I thought they were confirned to isolated pockets around Gisborne but traveling to Opotiki this weekend we saw heaps of them. All the way from Waimana to the coast. So cool. Couldn't get a chance for a photo.

----------


## Dundee

Seen three fly over the farm and seven in the bush this week..Kereru

----------


## K95

Heaps of Weka on the coast. Seeing plenty of chicks about lately.



DSC_1844

----------


## gimp

> Whats that top bird gb? Looks like a wax-eye on the hooch


Grey Warbler

----------


## Gibo

> Grey Warbler


Cheers, took me like 10 minutes to troll back and find it  :Grin:

----------


## time out

> Backyard birds -
> 
> If you are going to sit round for a couple of weeks - might as well smell the roses


These backyard birds are quite intelligent - back to same rose bush this year - Pic from last year above 

Wonder if this will be good again this year?



Rebuild completed - eggs laid - just smelling the roses  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Dundee

I found a dotteral chick while at the river.Nearly put my foot on it.

----------


## Pengy

Outside my bedroom window

----------


## Dundee

Better stay inside they make short work for a penguin :Grin:

----------


## Rushy

> Better stay inside they make short work for a penguin


Is that what happened to you Dundee?

----------


## kidmac42



----------


## LOC

mmm, delicious!

----------


## Pengy

> mmm, delicious!


How many hundred do you want  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## veitnamcam

Saw this little fella on my way to breakfast this morning. 







Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

----------


## veitnamcam

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

----------


## Gibo

Ruru. Don't mention more pork with @R93 around  :Grin:

----------


## R93

Owl then?😆

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

----------


## Sideshow

Ok how about Bacon Bird :Thumbsup:

----------


## Dreamer

Put these in the wrong thread the other day  :ORLY:

----------


## 223nut

@Dreamer have you sent them to the falcon research guys? Have heard they are wantig locations of them, dont know any more details sorry

----------


## Sean

Waxeyes

----------


## Dreamer

> @Dreamer have you sent them to the falcon research guys? Have heard they are wantig locations of them, dont know any more details sorry


Yeah mate, already done. I fill the online form out every encounter.

----------


## 223nut

> Yeah mate, already done. I fill the online form out every encounter.


Can u chuck the link up here, often see them in the mountains behind the house

----------


## Dreamer

> Can u chuck the link up here, often see them in the mountains behind the house


http://www.nzfalcon.org.nz/

----------


## 223nut

Cheers

----------


## Reindeer

[QUOTE=GravelBen;252048]Bird on branch (2). by gravelben, on Flickr

Just been going through this thread, Some great photos out there. Looks like i need a better Camera.
To answer the question @GravelBen @Gibo of "Whats this bird?" the above is a Grey Warbler. Probably the most common and most heard bird in the bush, well around the Ruahines its very common.

Grey warbler | New Zealand Birds Online

----------


## kiwijames

> Ruru. Don't mention more pork with @R93 around


Who who?

----------


## Gibo

Looks like hes been smokin  :Grin:

----------


## EeeBees

[QUOTE=Reindeer;461906]


> Bird on branch (2). by gravelben, on Flickr


Try as I might I have never found a nest...most curious that this little bird should build something like it does...bloody cuckoos like using them, throwing the warblers eggs out...

----------


## Dreamer



----------


## phillipgr

Some from my travels in South America 


Dundee tax

----------


## Rushy

Nice Phillip.  Trust you are well.

----------


## EeeBees

Tui in an oak tree today...

----------


## GravelBen

Quite happy with some recent bush robin photos, friendly wee things.


NZ South Island Robin (1) by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin (3) by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin (5) by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin (8) by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin (7) by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## stingray

Bell bird 



Huge thank you to @Pengy for setting me up with some wonderful gear.

----------


## Gibo

> Quite happy with some recent bush robin photos, friendly wee things.
> 
> 
> NZ South Island Robin (1) by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> NZ South Island Robin (3) by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> NZ South Island Robin (5) by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> ...


How their pin stick legs don't snap is a bloody marvel  :Grin:

----------


## time out

Just a few bird shots from the last couple of months - no rare birds - but always something interesting - 

Lots of pheasants round the property - the roosters are a bit flashy now - 


Lots of quail as well - the cock birds are always up on a fence post - 


Lots of Kingfisher on the property - seem to just move from one fence post to another - 


Either a Blackbird or Thrush always use this standard rose under the eaves each year - this Thrush did well - 


I see the Royal Spoonbills wading round the estuary down the road occasionally - but was surprised to see them up a large dead pine tree a month or so back - 


Parries are clever birds and can always find a safe place to nest - not sure there were any large holes up there -

----------


## Pointer

@Gibo bet me a keg once on those spoonbills at the Kaituna river being kotuku  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Gibo

> @Gibo bet me a keg once on those spoonbills at the Kaituna river being kotuku


Ha no the deal was I said they are there and they are, you need to gift me a keg when I get proof, I then went too far and said I will catch you one  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Pointer

Haha OK. deal still stands then! A keg for a Kaituna kotuku

----------


## FatLabrador

Took a month back

----------


## Dreamer

Another encounter  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## Dreamer

Another special morning

----------


## time out

Just a wee Fantail chick with Mum - first time I have ever seen one 
I was about 3m away but the camera was very basic - Mum turned up and flew him away

----------


## Sideshow

> Another special morning
> 
> Attachment 62530Attachment 62531Attachment 62532Attachment 62533


What's the bottom one there Dreamer ? Not seen one of those before.

----------


## Dreamer

> What's the bottom one there Dreamer ? Not seen one of those before.


Wouldn't have a clue sorry mate. Hopefully someone with a wee bit more knowledge will enlighten us 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Shearer

Possibly a Redpoll. An introduced finch.

----------


## Rushy

> Possibly a Redpoll. An introduced finch.


The beak is certainly finch like.

----------


## Dundee

No ducks quacking but an awesome song up at the pond.
https://youtu.be/6bPWB5xe_ic

----------


## Gibo

An English, short arsed penguin. Quite rare and rather smellly

----------


## scotty

This little fella was hanging around todaychanged the setting on the camera after the first one and now I see I had the resolution set  for really low .... coulda shoulda done better

----------


## Rushy

> An English, short arsed penguin. Quite rare and rather smellly
> 
> Attachment 68500


Very clever

----------


## doinit

Just a couple  of  oldies.

----------


## square1



----------


## Sideshow

Doing some shoot maintenance ysertday and came across this pheasant [ATTACH=CONFIG]73369

----------


## Sideshow

Its a Reeves's pheasant. Very noisy when they fly and are meant to have a huge long tail. 
Also rather aggressive. This one was not going to move :Grin:

----------


## 7mmwsm

> Its a Reeves's pheasant. Very noisy when they fly and are meant to have a huge long tail. 
> Also rather aggressive. This one was not going to move


Is that Chicory he is on?
I started feeding my hen pheasants chicory while they were laying one year, and they stopped laying over night. And didn't start again that season.
And Reeves are very aggressive. They will rip into if you turn your back on them.

----------


## Sideshow

No peas poor crop of it too :Sad:

----------


## john m



----------


## Sparrow

I don't claim to be any kind of photographer but thought it was cool bumping into this fella while out walking the pooch.

----------


## GravelBen

Chaffinch by Ben, on Flickr

Chaffinch by Ben, on Flickr

Kereru by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Gibo

> I don't claim to be any kind of photographer but thought it was cool bumping into this fella while out walking the pooch.Attachment 76412


That photo there was at the Kaituna cut @Pointer

----------


## GravelBen

> Attachment 74124


Thats an impressively strong branch to hold a fatty like that without breaking.

----------


## Sarvo

> did that one end up in the oven


no doubt covered in Tomato source  :-)

Ooops - from Page #1  :-(

----------


## Sarvo

> Attachment 51366


Great shot Zeb
Had one of these magnificent Birds sitting on our Pergola - just 3m from front door last week.
Wife feeds birds her left over bread - (90% sparrows) wax eyes etc - and these Native Falcons get the odd one.
Had one have a go at the Aussie Terrier on our front lawn a few years back too.
If I was to come back in another life as a creature - this is my #1 pick

We have a pair living up in Native beech approx 1500m behind us.

----------


## Sarvo

> Chaffinch by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> Chaffinch by Ben, on Flickr
> 
> Kereru by Ben, on Flickr


Top rate Photography - a credit to you
Can I ask what you are using ??

----------


## Dreamer

> Great shot Zeb
> Had one of these magnificent Birds sitting on our Pergola - just 3m from front door last week.
> Wife feeds birds her left over bread - (90% sparrows) wax eyes etc - and these Native Falcons get the odd one.
> Had one have a go at the Aussie Terrier on our front lawn a few years back too.
> If I was to come back in another life as a creature - this is my #1 pick
> 
> We have a pair living up in Native beech approx 1500m behind us.


That would be pretty cool have a pair living that close to you mate. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Sarvo

> That would be pretty cool have a pair living that close to you mate. 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes - when I was 10-16 yrs age - we had a pair in Tekuiti - they nested in a big old dead Rata.
They used to dive bomb me whenever I walked past - could feel the wind from their attack - that is how close they got.

Same locality the 1st confirmed sighting that the Blue Wattled Crow (Kokako) was not extinct after all !!
By "yours truly" when I was 11 years old (1968/9)


not my photo - camera were not invented back then - apart from Box Bronies

----------


## GravelBen

> Top rate Photography - a credit to you
> Can I ask what you are using ??


Thanks - I use a Nikon D7000 (which is getting on a bit now but still does the job), those photos are with an 18-105mm lens which is usually a bit too short for bird photos but those ones were friendly and let me get close enough.

----------


## Sarvo

> Thanks - I use a Nikon D7000 (which is getting on a bit now but still does the job), those photos are with an 18-105mm lens which is usually a bit too short for bird photos but those ones were friendly and let me get close enough.


Yes - I would have thought you would of had a bit more zoom than that - great work !!!
Clarity is pefect
Anyone on here using camera adaption (or IPhone - Android) on Spotting scopes ??
thinking it might be my up and coming lazy old man retirement hunting in "very near" future

----------


## GravelBen

> Yes - I would have thought you would of had a bit more zoom than that - great work !!!


I have an 80-200mm and a 400mm for things a bit further away but I don't usually take them too far into the hills because of the extra weight and bulk on multiday trips.

Here is a whole album of my bird photos to browse through if you're interested: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXCA3Hb

----------


## Sarvo

> I have an 80-200mm and a 400mm for things a bit further away but I don't usually take them too far into the hills because of the extra weight and bulk on multiday trips.
> 
> Here is a whole album of my bird photos to browse through if you're interested: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXCA3Hb


Impressive !!
All shot with the Nikon ??

----------


## GravelBen

> Impressive !!
> All shot with the Nikon ??


Yip, most with the D7000 and some with the old D80 I had before it.

----------


## Dundee

We have a resident NZ Falcon at work flying around catching sparrows that are feeding on the feed pad.Bloody impressive to see but too fast for my little pocket camera.

----------


## Sparrow

Very cool, always been a bit of a part time twitcher but your talent shows how even the starling is taken for granted!

----------


## GravelBen

DSC_9223 by Ben, on Flickr

Bombs away!

----------


## Dundee

geeze great timing ben :Grin:

----------


## Biggun708

Had a wee korero with this guy on the way out the other day... Reckoned everything is going to be alk good...

----------


## EeeBees

> We have a resident NZ Falcon at work flying around catching sparrows that are feeding on the feed pad.Bloody impressive to see but too fast for my little pocket camera.


Dundee, as soon as the high country gets a bit cooler, and the birds start storming the vineyards, the Falcons arrive ... love watching them hunting the birds through the vines ...

----------


## GravelBen

A few from the weekend...

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Rushy

You certainly have a talent Ben.

----------


## square1



----------


## kotuku

> Attachment 78099 Had a wee korero with this guy on the way out the other day... Reckoned everything is going to be alk good...


oiyoujimmywada helluthinkure lookinat eh.great photo but that certainly is one of those dont even think of f..g with me looks.majestic bird is old morepork.

----------


## Biggun708

> oiyoujimmywada helluthinkure lookinat eh.great photo but that certainly is one of those dont even think of f..g with me looks.majestic bird is old morepork.


One of those omnipotent stares that your not quite sure if you should be holding eye contact with....

----------


## time out

He might look better on a log in the estuary - but he has become a frequent visitor - nice place to dry out on the roof after wading

----------


## savage270

New Zealand Rock Wren by Dylan Higgison, on Flickr

need to update the watermark , took this last weekend

----------


## GWH

> The first would be very rare!i would suspect? I don't think I have ever in all my time in the scrub seen a morpork in daylight. Awesome shot.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Shit really, i have had them come and land right beside me in the maimai during the day before, right beside my head.

----------


## time out

During wet weather - I often wonder how the birds survive - a couple of weeks back it was raining heavily and I spotted these two sitting under a walkway beside a cattle loading ramp - clever birds staying out of the rain - there were eight tiny chicks under Mum and Dad - I opened the car door for a better shot and missed the best chick pictures as they moved off - but they were back an hour later when I went past - clever birds!

----------


## MSL

> Shit really, i have had them come and land right beside me in the maimai during the day before, right beside my head.

----------


## 223nut

> Shit really, i have had them come and land right beside me in the maimai during the day before, right beside my head.


Have had them come see what's going on whilst hunting, follow you for 50m or so then bugger off to where they came from. Bloody spooky when they fly past silently

----------


## EeeBees

> This little fella was hanging around todayAttachment 69103


The young of the Kingfisher would have to the be the ugliest chicks ...  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## square1

Could've watched this fella for hours.

----------


## 223nut

@square1 where was that? Tiritiri? Got them down here on one of the islands, awesome to watch them getting around, for 'non flying' they sure can move

----------


## Gibo

> Attachment 78823


Mate that would make a terrific canvas print on the wall!!! I would actually pay you for the original. Can you PM me if that would be ok?

----------


## Pengy



----------


## Gibo

pollen esian!!

----------


## square1

I’m glad you think so, it looks brilliant in my lounge! Will Pm you  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## square1

> @square1 where was that? Tiritiri? Got them down here on one of the islands, awesome to watch them getting around, for 'non flying' they sure can move


This was on Ulva, probably near where you are talking about! Yeah speedy critters eh, beautiful to watch. Just a shame this one was only working in the shade, it was difficult to get a properly lit picture. I’m going to Tiritiri soon so hopefully get another chance there

----------


## GravelBen

First test shots with new lens from @savage270

Gull by Ben, on Flickr

Fantail by Ben, on Flickr

Fantail by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## savage270

So you like? @GravelBen

----------


## GravelBen

Yip, pretty good for what it is - doesn't really compete with my 80-200 f2.8 for focus speed or sharpness (didn't expect it to comparing pro vs consumer level glass) but image qual is nice enough, the 30% longer reach is handy and its about half the weight. Cheers  :Thumbsup:

----------


## square1

Great work with the fantail!

----------


## square1



----------


## JoshC

My favourite bird






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Linh

i like your second picture. this hawk is so cute ^^

----------


## Gibo

> i like your second picture. this hawk is so cute ^^


Falcon  :Wink:

----------


## MSL

> Falcon


Saw three pairs in the ruahines last month.

----------


## BeeMan

Falcon is my favourite as well @JoshC , I have had several neat encounters over the years with these top winged predators. One just a couple of days ago, I have a group of swallows that forever fly into my boatshed when the door is lifted, I swear n curse them openly when there's no other ears listening. I had just chased one out with my landing net turned to push the door button n a funny swoosh/twack noise made me turn back to see a falcon pulling up with a swallow safe in its talons. Cool.    I feel fortunate to have witnessed these birds hunting.  :Thumbsup:

----------


## Rushy

> Falcon


8 cylinder?

----------


## trooper90

Nz falcons are awesome alright

----------


## MSL

I had been told years ago about falcons shepparding woodpigeons away from the bush till they were exhausted and easy to catch.  Watched it with my own eyes a few years ago.

----------


## square1

Quality plummeted when I resized...sorry!

----------


## keneff

> fark that bush robin got more jewelry than the wife.


Bet the wife is pleased  :Wink:

----------


## keneff

> Is it me or does he look a little jaundiced Gibo? May need a good dose of Waikato.


 @Rushy, if you think Waikato can fix jaundice, you need some theatre makeup

----------


## GWH

A quite rare Royal Spoonbill feeding in the creek behind our house this morning

----------


## stretch

Saw some of those in the estuary next to Auckland Airport a couple of years ago.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

----------


## kiwijames

> A quite rare Royal Spoonbill feeding in the creek behind our house this morning
> 
> Attachment 91882
> Attachment 91883
> Attachment 91884
> Attachment 91885
> Attachment 91886


Cool. Quite often there's a few of them around the airport. About where they're digging it up and putting in the new road.

----------


## 223nut

> Saw some of those in the estuary next to Auckland Airport a couple of years ago.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk


Get a few in the estuary round Invercargill or out of a paddock out CATLINS way

----------


## Shearer

This guy sat and posed for me today.

----------


## Shearer



----------


## 223nut

Saw a kingfisher on the bridge over a braided river the other day... And a falcon cruising the lower snow line on a skifield no camera damn it all

----------


## Rushy

> Attachment 94008


I have a pair of them nesting down on my range.

----------


## 223nut

> I have a pair of them nesting down on my range.


Trained to go fishing for you.... If it can be done with cormorants 

Nice photo @Shearer, what sort of range was it shot at?

----------


## Shearer

> Trained to go fishing for you.... If it can be done with cormorants 
> 
> Nice photo @Shearer, what sort of range was it shot at?


Out the kitchen window at about 15m.

----------


## GravelBen

Mourning Dove by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Shearer

What sort of bird @GravelBen?

----------


## GravelBen

> What sort of bird @GravelBen?


 @Shearer I think its a mourning dove (not an NZ bird, bit of a trick there)

----------


## Shearer

Yeah, realized that Ben. I know where you've been. :Have A Nice Day: . I should have read the caption at the bottom of your photo eh.

----------


## GravelBen

Some more from Canada...

Stoner crow by Ben, on Flickr

Gannet turn by Ben, on Flickr

Gannet dive by Ben, on Flickr

Woodpecker (1) by Ben, on Flickr

Precise Landing by Ben, on Flickr

Grey Jay (2) by Ben, on Flickr

Grey Jay (3) by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Shootm



----------


## time out

Seems to be a few Kereru around the Quarry Park these days - I saw four last evening without even looking - they were all stripping Kowhai trees - clambering around on small branches to get the fresh growth 
I was talking to an old Guy up near the bush a couple of days back - he was grazing his horse down the side of the road and smoking a strange looking pipe - he told me “no hunting up this road bro” - I told him I had been doing pest control in the reserve just up the road and there were plenty of Kereru around (thought he might give me access to the bush) - he said they were fattening up nicely right now and the rats back in the bush further were really good kai!

----------


## GravelBen

DSC_5572 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_6478 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_5635 by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## GravelBen

Eagle (1) by Ben, on Flickr
Eagle (2) by Ben, on Flickr
Eagle (3) by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## muzza



----------


## muzza



----------


## doinit

Thanks to all those putting up all the pics,,bloody great.

----------


## GravelBen

DSC_7621 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_7604 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_7603 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_7645 by Ben, on Flickr
Digging by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## GravelBen

Catching crabs

DSC_7767 by Ben, on Flickr
DSC_7776 by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## GravelBen

Sneaky hiding bird:

Spruce Grouse (1) by Ben, on Flickr


Got ya...

Spruce Grouse (2) by Ben, on Flickr

Spruce Grouse (3) by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## 223nut

Photo is very average having been off the phone and then dropped ut a juvenile tui about half a metre away going nuts on the flax, orange spot is all the pollen he has collected. 

Also had a kaka same sort of distance but no photo.... Dont typically have my camera when it would have been nice. Flax will be in flower for a while so should really try and get a good one

----------


## GravelBen

Brown Blackbird by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Shearer

A couple of the local natives.

----------


## GravelBen

NZ Rifleman by Ben, on Flickr

NZ South Island Robin by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## GravelBen

Not talking to you! by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Dreamer



----------


## GravelBen

Waterskiing by Ben, on Flickr

Flotilla by Ben, on Flickr

High-G turn by Ben, on Flickr

Walking on water (1) by Ben, on Flickr

Stewart Island Albatross by Ben, on Flickr

----------


## Lucky

Woody on the lawn

----------


## Rushy

Excellent.  Look at how effective its plumage is at repelling the water.

----------


## dannyb

Spent the weekend on the West Coast, caught up with this guy at Hokitika Gorge. Kids loved being able to get so close.

----------


## Rushy

I have reckoned for a number of years that we should farm Weka and Kiwi.

----------


## Lucky

Thanks @Rushy , I remember a few years ago someone was trying to farm Weka ( I think Banks Peninsular) it was either not successful or they could never get permission to kill them   , Chathams only place you can do that I think .

----------


## Rushy

> Thanks @Rushy , I remember a few years ago someone was trying to farm Weka ( I think Banks Peninsular) it was either not successful or they could never get permission to kill them   , Chathams only place you can do that I think .


I have just always reckoned that if you want a species to survive then farm it commercially.  Imagine if the Weka and Kiwi were as common a chooks.  Now as for Wood Pigeons, one of those buggers cost me a couple of weeks wages and a confinement to barracks.  Who knew that what my grandmother had taught me was nice to eat wasn’t considered fair game on an army survival course.  Anyway that is another story from a bygone era.

----------


## 6x47

Three pics from an Africa trip. First is a Roller, national bird of Botswana.  Other two shots taken in Okovango Delta. The kingfisher was a microscopic, waay smaller than our ones.

----------


## Wingman

A few shots from a crappy samsung cell phone camera

----------


## Bonecrusher

Lets see if anyone can pick this bird

----------


## Bonecrusher



----------


## Rushy

This big boy was on the fence this morning.

----------


## Shearer

Crept up on this today.

And then came across it's off spring

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## ebf

> The first would be very rare!i would suspect? I don't think I have ever in all my time in the scrub seen a morpork in daylight. Awesome shot.


Bumped into one (Morepork) in broad daylight earlier in April this year down in Fiordland. On the Lake Marion track.  :Thumbsup:

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## viper

A random snap the wife took with a new camera a couple of years back, just a well composed fluke that captures the moment.

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## scotty

dusted off the camera today ... dont get much in the way of native birds surrounded by farms on the plains

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## Shearer

I came across this photo today when I was looking through an old album. I believe it is the only photo of Moa bones found in the Tongariro region.

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## Huk

your photo ?????? :Have A Nice Day:

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## Frogfeatures

Takahe, trail cam photo sent to me by my son, Takahe Ranger, Fiordland.

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## Shearer

> your photo ??????


Yeah. Taken in the early 2000s

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## Lucky



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## doinit

That is a  cracker pic there Lucky.

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## Dreamer

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## Lucky

> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That’s a ripper

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## Dreamer

> Thats a ripper


Yeah pretty happy got a few good photos today while out chasing wallabys round the hills. Always makes the day when I happen to come across one of them. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## redrover

Karearea. (falcon) Near Hyde, Central Otago
It did have two legs - just not enough space on top of the waratah for it to put down two feet. 


Barn Owl. I believe they do exist in NZ but I've never seen one. This photo was taken in Queensland.


Tui. A long wait for this hyperactive critter to sit still for long enough to trip the shutter.

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## Pengy



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## GravelBen

A silly thrush failed badly at stealing my raspberries and somehow managed to get itself in quite a pickle stuck between the netting and the fence...

Silly bird (1) by Ben, on Flickr
Silly bird (2) by Ben, on Flickr
Silly bird (3) by Ben, on Flickr

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## Woody



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## Puffin

Today was only the second time I've seen this. I ran off about 25 images with the SX50, but the chick was following "Mum"/"Dad" around continuously, so once I had the exposure optimised manually to combat the sky background, I still had to rely on the auto-focus as I was changing position constantly to keep the birds in view. Many of the images were lost as a result to the auto-focus picking up on intervening branches. 
The chick looked wide-eyed (and-bushy-tailed) - it didn't yet have that sly look about the eyes that the adult Shining Cuckoos seem to have. It was the constant begging call for food that first put me onto them, and the poor Grey Warblers were going flat out. Both Warblers were about, though I couldn't keep track of when each was feeding the chick - they were in and out like lightning.

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## Pengy

I popped out of my back door to introduce a noisy Possum to my .22, and when I lit the trees up, this wee beauty was sitting 3 metres away

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## chainsaw

got close enough to this guy to get pic on the cell phone... he was waiting for us to scare up some prey in the tussock.

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## Trout

I was impressed with this guys fishing skills

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## Dreamer



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## Swanny

happy wee Nth Is. Robin

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## Swanny

This kingfisher stopped by and posed for a  couple of photos

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## Lucky

Terrible quality pic from my phone , but drove under these lines yesterday and saw this bird and thought WTF turned around and went back and sure enough its a Kookaburra , there was another one also in a tree close by I could see .

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## Shearer

Game camera photo from 200m above our house :Have A Nice Day:

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## Puffin

We have had our first black-variant fantail here. I've seen it several times in the garden over the past month and will try and get a photo or two to post here  if it will just stay still long enough.  Apparently it is rare to find them in the North Island, and while less so in the South, they still make up only 4% of the population. 

Has anyone else come across any Black Fantails in the lower North Island,  and if so,  any pics please ?

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## Rushy

> Game camera photo from 200m above our house
> Attachment 166716


Cool.

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## wsm junkie

> We have had our first black-variant fantail here. I've seen it several times in the garden over the past month and will try and get a photo or two to post here — if it will just stay still long enough.  Apparently it is rare to find them in the North Island, and while less so in the South, they still make up only 4% of the population. 
> 
> Has anyone else come across any Black Fantails in the lower North Island,  and if so,  any pics please ?


Be cool if you can get a pic

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## BeeMan

> We have had our first black-variant fantail here. I've seen it several times in the garden over the past month and will try and get a photo or two to post here — if it will just stay still long enough.  Apparently it is rare to find them in the North Island, and while less so in the South, they still make up only 4% of the population. 
> 
> Has anyone else come across any Black Fantails in the lower North Island,  and if so,  any pics please ?


  I didn't know there were variants, as an avid bird watcher and amateur photographer phone cam and trail cams I will keep my eyes peeled now and keep you posted @Puffin.

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## Puffin

My nephew & partner found the following on their return home — presumably brought in by their cat in their absence. It flew around the house fine on its way to being flushed back outside, and appeared unharmed by the whole ordeal. 

Be careful where you roost seems to be the lesson here.

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## muzr257

ive never had a camera when iv seen a NZ falcon at close range - and still havent!!! But i managed to get close enough to get these with my cell phone.
Got reasonable close by staying in the truck and just casually driving forward and edging closer to the post. Wasnt happy about me tho!

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## time out

I saw these birds yesterday while doing a trap line at the Quarry – I thought they looked a bit special – a duck hunter friend tells me they are a good example of Grey Ducks with very little sign of Mallard hybridization
Heavy rain flushes out unusual sediments from the old Quarry and the water turns almost white for a few days.

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## Dundee

> I saw these birds yesterday while doing a trap line at the Quarry – I thought they looked a bit special – a duck hunter friend tells me they are a good example of Grey Ducks with very little sign of Mallard hybridization
> Heavy rain flushes out unusual sediments from the old Quarry and the water turns almost white for a few days.
> 
> Attachment 172085


yes they are definitely grey ducks I have one on my wall and aren't very common in our area.

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## Micky Duck

> I didn't know there were variants, as an avid bird watcher and amateur photographer phone cam and trail cams I will keep my eyes peeled now and keep you posted @Puffin.


we get quite a few of them around here...funny though I said as much to work mate and can never see them when he is around.

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## Swanny

Was muttering to myself, wondering why I carry a camera around in the bush, seeing nothing to photograph when this ruru swooped over me down the track. Stepped around a tree and there he was, sitting on a branch above the track.  Stayed while I took 20 odd photos. Made my day. This was about midday.

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## Shearer



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## Shearer

> thats him,the bird that may have taken my swaros


If I’d known earlier I would have questioned it

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## Shearer



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## Rushy

> thats a fat pukeko, what did it taste like?


Takahe?

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## Shearer

> thats a fat pukeko, what did it taste like?


They are faster than they look :Grin:

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## XR500

> thats a fat pukeko, what did it taste like?


You didn't have anything to do with a Pukeko control project on a certain Hauraki Gulf island a few years ago perchance???

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## Barefoot

> Takahe?


You mean Takaway? You need the special herbs and spices and don't expect much if you want the wings.

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## video hunter

A one legged magpie photographed in the Wellington region... Southern Wairarapa



A new species of magpie?... maybe not. A Google search on 'bird standing on one leg' is fairly common in the bird world.

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## Micky Duck



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## Micky Duck

@Husky1600  you might recognize this fine fella.

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## scotty

long tailed cuckoo

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## kukuwai

> Attachment 213985
> 
> long tailed cuckoo


That's pretty cool scotty 
I have seen and heard plenty of shining cockoo.

Only ever seen one long tailed. It flew across in front of a bus I was driving on the haast pass.

Always remember it as a 'flying crucifix'  

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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## scotty

it was pretty vocal round the campsite on the weekend

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