Yesterday, Dad and I drove to Turangi and back. We were on the hunt for whio – Blue ducks. We’ve had a few Blue Duck Hunts in the past, but this one was very brief! But we were very lucky – we found a pair hanging out just across the Tongariro river, and they gave us some great opportunities to take photographs. Definitely the best photographs of whio that I have to date! It was a short trip characterised by luck, because the other bird I wanted to see was tarāpuka – black-billed gull, the most endangered gull species in the world. And we saw one! Just one, mind, which was a little odd. But it was a very rewarding, successful day. And it didn’t rain too much either. Adventures don’t have to be massive to be rewarding, and spending time with people you love is as important as ticking off certain photos.
I spent a few days in Wellington recently, catching up with friends, going to meetings. It rained a lot. I say it rained a lot – it rained a lot on the one whole day I spent at Zealandia photographing birds. The other three days were quite the opposite. But rain makes for nice effects when you’re photographing, so I didn’t mind too much. It also means that there’s fewer people braving the elements, so it was a peaceful time. It was also a good reminder to take my waterproof camera cover everywhere (I’d forgotten it)! My jeans were soaked, my camera was soaked, and I had a wonderful time. I can also 10/10 recommend going to Fidel’s Cafe to warm up with a boozy coffee after a day freezing fingers off in the pouring rain!
Sometimes, you can have adventures in your backyard. My workload at the moment means I’m delaying the southern leg of my #birdventureNZ for a wee while, and I’m holed up working frantically on manuscripts. So I spend all day listening to the birds outside, and then occasionally pop out for a ‘brain break’ to take advantage of nice light. I love afternoons in winter, even though they’re very short. The intensity of the light is beautiful, cutting through clear cold air. And the kōwhai tree out back is regularly visited by handfuls of birds, making it a failsafe option for afternoon escapism.
