24 September 2016

Tui at the Pohangina Wetlands

Photographing tui on the Massey University campus among the cherry blossom is one thing, but photographing a tui feeding on the native kakabeak (kowhai ngutukaka) at the Pohangina Wetlands is another: somehow intrinsically more satisfying. I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps photographing the Massey birds, which are habituated to constant human presence, seems too close to photographing animals in a zoo, or maybe the juxtaposition of a quintessentially New Zealand bird and a plant most closely associated with Japanese culture seems slightly contrived.

Of course, while kakabeak is a native plant, it's almost extinct in the wild, and if you see one it's almost certainly a cultivated plant.

[1/400 sec at f4, ISO 250]



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6 comments:

  1. Ali Honey25 September 2016 at 10:09

    2 excellent Tui photos. We have many Tui on our property but I mostly see them bathing in the bird bath. They don't care how cold the water is and go under 6 or 7 times per bath. The Kereru use the bath too.

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  2. pohanginapete25 September 2016 at 10:50

    Thanks Ali. Your mention of kereru reminds me to check for them today, the last day of the Great Kereru Count.

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  3. Zhoen25 September 2016 at 11:47

    Oh. Wow.

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  4. pohanginapete25 September 2016 at 19:06

    Zhoen, that's what I thought when it was posing for me.

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  5. Lisa25 September 2016 at 20:42

    What Zhoen sad: Just wow!

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  6. pohanginapete25 September 2016 at 22:11

    Thanks Lisa :-)

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Constructive criticism is welcomed (I particularly appreciate thoughts on what you like and don't like), but please keep it courteous.