Blog

I haven't been able to get out and do much photography lately but with work easing off a bit I managed to take Friday off and decided to head to Lake Rotokare.  Lake Rotokare is a pest free sanctuary near Eltham in South Taranaki. Rotokare was a community led project and after much hard work by volunteers and the construction of a pest proof fence, it is now a thriving natural forest full of native birds that have otherwise vanished from Taranaki.A few years ago saddleback (tieke), stitchbi …

The Mahood Lowe reserve was opened in March 2019 after the Native Forest Restoration Trust managed to acquire a block of land adjacent to the Egmont National park boundary at the end of Alfred Rd and secure its protection.  I've been meaning to check out this reserve for a while and finally made it up there today.  The reserve is accessed via a gravel track off the end of Alfred Rd. It is a unique block of mixed podocarp wetland forest. It boarders an area of the national park whe …

Hihi gathering around the feeder taking their turn. Korimako pushes in then sits on a branch singing. The hihi scatter with flashes of yellow then return one by one sneaking in while the korimako concentrates on his song. In the distance tieke calling out notes rippling through the bush. A shadow overhead, a flight of kaka, cries echoing in the valley. Beauty manifesting herself in form, a movement, a song, a beat of wings the flight o …