Wednesday 20 February 2019

Wild Bird Wednesday 343 - Black-winged Petrel

This week I bring you.......more pictures of birds on the wing from Lord Howe Island!  In fact they were taken the same evening as the birds from last week.

These birds are Black-winged Petrels (Pterodroma nigripennis).  They come to islands like Lord Howe to breed but spend the rest of the year at sea.  Now, I am no expert, but these birds seemed a little easier to see (but no easier to photograph) on this trip to LHI and some other people on the island agreed.  Nice to see a bird increasing in numbers for a change.

Apart from a brief glimpse of one of these birds on a sea cliff, I have only ever seen these birds in flight.  So I had this in mind when I made (and processed) these shots.  I cant imagine seeing them not surrounded by sky.






As ever, to join in with WBW click on the blue button below the thumbnails.  

Feel free to spread the word about our little birding community in 2019. SM.

(It seemed that most people could link up with the new button - and even a few people who said that they could not managed to do so in the end - which is great!  But please remember that I did not have much choice but to change the button set up.  I don't run the Linky company - so if you need to write a grumpy email (as one person did who could not link up), please don't send it to me - send it to inLinkz! - I a busy boy already without grumpy 'fan mail'!!)  SM
Inlinkz Link Party

17 comments:

  1. Their wing marking are very striking. They are so much at home in the air, eating and probably sleeping on the wing.

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  2. Agreed. It has a very striking underwing. As you know Stewart, seeing petrels here is never easy. Our Blue For was from 10 miles away. Quite a journey for that species.

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  3. In the air or not, Stewart, these are birds that few of us ever see. As others have mentioned the underwing pattern is exceptionalyy striking. My glass of envy bubbleth over!

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  4. Beautiful markings..Wonderful pictures..I don't think I have ever seen a Petrel.. I guess they don't make it to the Atlantic..Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Beautiful photos! Love the underside of the wings!

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  6. Hari OM
    you served the bird well! YAM xx

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  7. They are beautiful ... I loved these pictures ...so much that I almost forgot how envious I am ... both of the sighting itself and your ability to get these great flight shots! Thanks for all you do. I have always been grateful and Hope you know I didn’t mean to complain at you last week. I was just letting you know why I wasn’t linking up.... I didn’t think I would ever be able to and I’m glad I figured it out somehow, In case anybody else who is reading this is having trouble, the link for the help person does work and she will respond.

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  8. Wow! Great photographs of this beautiful bird.

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  9. Love those birds on the wing. Spending a year at sea doesn't sound like a bad prospect!

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  10. Great flight shots of this bird Stewart. Thanks for hosting. Have a good week.

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  11. These birds are amazing and your shots are just great. It is indeed difficult to shoot while birds are in flight.
    Thanks for hosting WBW. Have a nice week!

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  12. Glorious flight! Love the photos.

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  13. Never good to look straight up at a bird.

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  14. Hi, beautiful photos and what striking markings. Where I hail from, Newfoundland and Labrador, we have what we call storm petrels, a smallish black bird that is rather nocturnal in any land doings so seldom seen. A treat to see any petrel. Thanks!

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  15. Love the name pterodrama! Thanks for hosting.

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  16. Stewart, fantastic capture of the Black-winged Petrel in flight. Thanks for sharing.

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