Kingfishers (Todiramphus sanctus) on power lines are a common sight in the Tasman District. Their preferred habitat is water margins with elevated vantage points from which they can spot their next meal, and power lines serve as excellent vantage points. What makes a good meal for a kingfisher? Invertebrates and small vertebrates. If prey is [...]
Places
I like the greys and blacks in this photo, with the only bits of colour provided by the red of the beak, the feet and the eye ring. This is a red-billed gull (Larus novaehollandiae), New Zealand’s most common coastal gull.
Skylark or pipit, it can be hard to tell. They’re both streaky brown birds, roughly the same size, who like hanging out in the same habitats. Pipits are more strongly striped, and the dark stripe through the eye generally distinguishes it from the skylark. But how do you tell unless you have them side by [...]
These pukeko (Porphyrio melanotus) were stalking a paddock on Staples Street. Pukeko are often said to have “complex social behaviours”.
This spur-winged plover (Vanellus miles) was determined to drive the harrier (Circus approximans) away from the paddock where the plover likely had eggs or chicks the harrier had been eyeing up. I like the way this photo shows the clear demarcation between the light and dark feathers on the undersides of the plover’s wings.
Male blackbirds (Turdus merula) are distinctive because of their really black plumage, but sometimes they have random white patches, which this male seems to have around his eye. The blackbird was introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century and they’ve spread pretty much everywhere. They’re common in gardens and parks, farms and forests. Female [...]
The green and yellow of the lichens on these fence posts are a gentle contrast to the black, dark brown, light brown and lighter brown of these sparrows (Passer domesticus). The chunky bill on the male in the foreground is black, indicating that he’s a breeding male.
Apart from the distinctive plume, male California quail (Callipepla californica) have the most spectacular markings. There’s no difference between breeding and non-breeding plumage, so this guy looks this good throughout the year. Male quail can sound like a squeaky dog toy, though, which kind is of at odds with his feathery elegance.
California quail (Callipepla californica) are abundant in the Tasman District. These quail were part of a large group running along Horton Road, near Tasman. A really large group, probably close to two dozen. There’s a bit of a wetland at the end of the flat part of Horton Road and it provides shelter for a [...]
From a distance, the extra-long bill of the shoveler (Anas rhynchotis) gives it away as not your usual grey/mallard duck. From the front (sorry, couldn’t get close enough), the bill has a strong spoon-like appearance. Not the soup spoon of the royal spoonbill, more like a dessert spoon. Anyway, these guys feed by filtering water [...]
