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…
Tauhou in the roses
I've been enjoying watching the garden birds outside my 'home-office' (my bedroom). House sparrows are the most common visitors, closely followed by these tauhou - silvereyes - tempted by the…
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White fantail
This little bird, this unusual leucistic fantail, spurred a lot of interest last year. I spent a lot of time watching it and chatting to people visiting the cemetery where…
Ulva Island Birdventures
Every day for a week, I hopped on the Rakiura Charters boat at Golden Bay, disembarked on Ulva island, and spent the day in solitude. Well, nearly solitude. Human solitude…
Blue and gold
Light goes quickly in the mountains, particularly in winter. Days start cold and blue, even with clear skies. They end cold and blue, golden rays barely eking over the stark…
Hardwicke Settlement – tiny details
The evening we stopped at the Hardwicke settlement on Auckland Island was golden. We'd had a pretty rough ride for the start of the subantarctic voyage, and our plans to…
Black Noddy
In December 2018, there was a Black noddy kicking around the Hauraki Gulf. These birds are a subtropical/tropical species, and in Aotearoa the only place they breed is in the…