A Special Trip

A few weeks back I was asked if I wanted to go on a Birds NZ trip to the Bromley Settling Ponds, and have a tour around the place. I mean who would refuse a trip to go to a restricted area teeming with birds, with a whole bunch of other birders? Not me!!! In the end the trip turned out great, with lots of cool birds seen, quality time spent, and conversations exchanged. Highlights include the shag colonies, fishing terns, and a solitary Banded Dotterel!

Welcome Swallow Reflection - If there was one bird I was guilty of watching the most over there, it would probably be the welcome swallow. Watching them effortlessly glide over the calm ponds was plain mesmerising. While over there I made it a personal challenge to capture one in flight, and after countless failed attempts I finally succeeded, with a reflection added in there as a bonus!

Black Shag Landing - Although not considered good by anyone’s standards this photo is a nice memory. It was such a cool experience to watch the black shags fly back forth to their nest, where around them Pied Shags would also congregate.

Black Swan Reflection - If I had to name 4 birds that basically summed up this trip I would say New Zealand Scaup, Canada Geese, Welcome Swallows, and Black Swans. This lone Black Swan floated lazily on the water, not even seeming to care that I was photographing it about 10 metres away.

Paradise Pair - Near the end of the trip, two Paradise Shelducks flew in noisily and landed on the water, grabbing my attention. Luckily, I got a few shots before they swam to far away. I love how you can see the out of focus female next to the male, comparing the two genders. In birds usually the male is more pretty, but the Paradise Shelducks seem to ditch this rule, with the female having the bright colours.

Thanks for reading. 

Zion.