06 May 2014

Titipounamu (rifleman) on the No. 1 Line track


Returning down the No. 1 Line track last Sunday, I was treated to an uncommon visit by Aotearoa's smallest bird. I saw a pair in roughly the same location earlier in the year, but other than that I don't remember ever seeing them on this track. I hope this is a good sign — they're utterly delightful little birds and I'd love to see more of them.

I'm pretty sure this is an adult  female. Of course, I had the wrong lens on the camera, so I've had to crop the photograph heavily.


[12 March 2014, Olympus OM-D EM-1, 60mm f/2.8 macro, ISO 800, 1/100 at f/2.8]

All content © 2014 Pete McGregor

5 comments:

  1. What an enchanting looking little bird. I do hope that they stay around - and even more that they breed.

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  2. Feathered ping-pong balls on toothpicks. In a good way.

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  3. EC, when I saw the pair earlier this year, I hoped they'd breed successfully. This might be an immature bird, but I think it's more likely it's an adult female. I didn't see the male this time, but I hope that was just because I was too focused on photographing this bird (one of the drawbacks of photography).

    Zhoen, that's an excellent description :^)

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  4. One of the things I love about these birds is their name - so lyrical. And the photo is more than fine, Pete! Thanks.

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