Wild Bird Wednesday 246 - Australasian Gannet or Tākapu (Part 2)

A couple of weeks ago I posted some images of a Australasian Gannet or Tākapu colony.

This week I am just going to post some closer images of the birds, including a pair bonding (I assume this is what it is) at a nest site.  No more text this week, just pictures!

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

In a neat bit of number symmetry - this is WBW 246 and 1101 for my Photo-Gallery!

An InLinkz Link-up

Well, that just about covers it!

I think these signs are rather amusing - and I suspect that a lawyer would have a field day on them:  "My client was not scratching or scribing - he was in fact doodling, which was not forbidden in any of the signs, your Honour!"

Sightseeing must be dangerous in India!

These picture were taken with a smile at Agra Fort.

Wild Bird Wednesday 245 - White-Fronted Terns

White-Fronted Terns (Sterna striata) are considered to be the most common tern found in New Zealand.  Such statements always make me smile, as the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is also found there, but its really un-common!

These White fronted terns were all photographed on the beach at Muriwai, on New Zealand's North Island,  below last week's Gannet colony.  It took me a while to sort out the exposure for these images - photographing birds on a basically black background was not easy.

Anyway, these birds were pretty active, and an incoming tide made it rather risky to lie in the beach and hope the birds got used to me being there (which is my normal tactic in these situations).

As you can see, there were some well grown young birds that were still demanding food from the adults. All in all these were great birds to watch.

As ever, you can join in with WBW by clicking on the link below.

Thanks for the positive comments from from last week - they really did help me put the negative contacts in perspective.  SM

An InLinkz Link-up

Across the River

The classic view of the Taj Mahal is very well known - a building of such symmetry calls out for a certain angle in photography.  However, I had wanted to see it from a rather different viewpoint, and this was provided went to Agra Fort.  The fort itself is pretty impressive, but these remain my favourite images I took when I visited it.

Once again, the light is not clear due to a combination of dust and pollution - but I rather like the way the picture feels.

You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

PS: thanks for the positive comments from last week!

Wild Bird Wednesday 244 - Australasian Gannet or Tākapu (Part 1)

I have noticed that many of my bird posts are of single or small groups of birds.  It occurred to me that this sometimes misses the point of how wonderful large groups of birds can look.

So, this week, here are some large groups of birds - or maybe here is a large group of birds.

These are Australasian Gannet or Tākapu to give them their Māori name. There seems to be some variation across the web as to the scientific name of this species - so I will go with the one used on the Birds Australia web site - Morus serrator.

These pictures were taken at Muriwai, on the North Island of New Zealand.  You can see adult birds, and well developed younger birds and at least one smaller chick in these pictures.

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

I have received a couple of negative emails (not as comments on my blog) in the past month, and while I don't mind feedback, it would remind anybody who reads this that I am a full time husband and Dad, full time worker and only a part time blogger and an amateur photographer , so I can't always stay 100% up to date with the blog, or produce show stopping pictures at will! - much as I would like to. SM

An InLinkz Link-up

The Things They Left Behind 5 - Buller Gorge

When we were in New Zealand we went for a walk around an area called Buller Gorge - this used to be many alluvial gold mines in the area, but most have now closed.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to find an abandoned digger in the middle of the bush!  But there it was.  And further on there was a truck of some sort and other bite and pieces.   Although some of the machines looked older, much of this debris only dates from the 1980s - which I suppose is old by some peoples reckoning!

You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.