Dawn around the Pinnacles
The 5am start is a struggle, in the chill starry blackness before dawn. We traipse down an empty road in the dark to hop aboard the comforting familiarity of Trevor's…
Shorebirds
What can I say? I've missed the ocean. I'm taking every chance to be on or as near the sea as possible now. With limited opportunities to get out on…
Tāwharanui birds
Mornings are not my strong suit. I need a compelling reason to leave my warm cocoon of covers, but I'm getting better at giving myself reasons. A few weekends ago…
Eyes in the dark
I'm halfway up a tree and there's a Duvaucell's gecko giving me a very disconcerting grin. I'm perched so I can see across the expanse of burrowed ground that forms…
The Ōi of Mauao
The sky has faded from dusk blue to navy, a punch of cobalt where the sun has set. Smoky clouds are strewn across the sky, and we walk a gravel…
January fieldwork
After seven days in the subantarctic, I'm back on the Poor Knights islands. It's Northland warm, still and sunny, Shag bay turquoise and calm. The storms of December ripped through…
Muriwai, Muriwai, Muriwai
I've lived in Auckland for eight years or so now. Because I'm unashamedly a bird person, and seabirds are my passion, Muriwai gannet colony is one of my most-visited places.…
Light at night
I have a complicated relationship with the lighthouse on Burgess island. I love it for the predictable swing of the beams that slice out into the night, rays reaching out…
Catching the light
I've just noticed how many of my recent post titles have the word 'light' in them. Which isn't surprising, I suppose, as light is what makes this whole 'seeing' and…
Autumn light
The thing I've missed most during lockdown has been living outside. In April I'd normally be living in a tent on the Poor Knights islands, spending most of the day…
Rangatira – South East Island
I wrote a blog a while ago about the Chatham islands, and how I was looking forward to visiting Rangatira for a seabird translocation project. It's taken me a while…
Island light
Occasionally, I find myself stuck on islands. I never mind - it's just part of the work I do. We can't control the weather or the sea. More time away…
Dawn at the Snares
The wind was howling when I woke up, but it's an unusual day when the wind isn't howling in the southern ocean. The sky is a swirled and subtle mix…
Tiny toutouwai details
I really like this photo for two reasons - one is the feather textures, which are just stunning. The other is that backlit foot - you wouldn't notice quite how…
Beyond the camera – seabird sketches
I was an artist long before I was a photographer. I was also a birdwatcher long before I was a photographer, and it was only natural for the two to…