Louise Thomas

A wee rifleman / tītitipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris) at Mt Ruapehu.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand #birding #birdwatching #birds #rifleman

Thanks, Dave. Still getting the hang of things (obviously).

Just needs one of those compass 🧭 things underneath it.

Thank you. 😁

Grey warbler eating bug.

Oh, dude! No! What are you eating??? Grey warbler / Riroriro (Gerygone igata) tucking into some bush nom noms.

#nzbirds #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birdphotography #nomnoms #birding #NewZealand

Look at those eyes - I'd get out of his way, for sure.

Hah! Yes. And it started whistling - which is quite a freaky noise. eBird might have audio if you haven’t heard it before.

See, I didn't really know any of this stuff. I tend to lurk and like. I didn't even know about reposting. I'll certainly do that if I see something I really like. However, some accounts seem to be all reposts, and I think what is the point of that. I'd like to see their work, not have it buried.

Blue duck, New Zealand

Is this blue duck / whio (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) at Whakapapanui Stream giving me the stink eye? Yes, yes it is.

#blueduck #whio #whioforever #mtruapehu #mtruapehunz #nzbirds #NewZealand

Fantail singing.

"La donna è mobile.....Qual piuma al vento"
I'm not sure why this fantail / pīwakawaka sounds like Pavarotti - years of training I guess.

#nzbirds

Definitely working it. 😁

I love your descriptions as much as the photos!

Whitehead New Zealand

A curious cute whitehead / pōpokotea (Mohoua albicilla) in Taupo, checking out the camera noise. I'm thinking he might make the calendar for 2026.
#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand #whitehead

Just calling it like I see it. 😁

Little black shags

Little black shags (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) in Christchurch - posing water-side, trying to decide if the water is warm enough. How cool and sleek they are - the James Dean of shags. Little pied shags, of course, resent them bitterly as a bunch of ponced-up try-hards.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025

Thank you, Glen. 😁

Sacred kingfisher

A favourite photo from a few years ago - the sea scouts were paddling about in the estuary in colourful boats, the colours reflecting off the water in the late afternoon sun. This is going to become a painting, for sure. Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) at the Hutt Estuary.

#nzbirds #birds

Morepork / ruru

After 1am, I heard a mournful call outside the second-floor window. I opened the window and there, in a tree, was a morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae). We were 2 awake beings regarding each other in the still night air as the world sleep. He turned his head, and called again. #nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025

Thank you, Glen. 😁

Eastern rosella

As subtle as a mariachi band, Eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) are gregarious Popsicle traffic lights of the bird world. These chaps fly between trees, yelling their heads off, only to gently call on landing "What-a-to-do", as if complaining about their alter egos.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025

Amazing shot, well done, Mark.

Thanks, Glen. They always remind me of those cartoons with fat bears hiding behind thin trees.

New Zealand pigeon

'Peek-a-boo! You hadn't seen me hiding behind these thick trees, right?' Kererū / New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) at Manor Park Golf Sanctuary in Lower Hutt yesterday.

#nzbirds #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birding #birds #bigpigeon #pigeon

Great shot, Mike.

Very cool, Ted.

basket fungus

Something weird and wonderful on my birding walk. This is a basket #fungus (Ileodictyon cibarium). The inner surface of the basket is covered in a foul-smelling slime called gleba, which attracts flies and other insects for spore dispersal. I didn't get that close to sniff it. Nature is freaky.

Not as bad as fantail, fairly active, but like many bush birds, it will stop to check you out.

They are. The ones in the South Island have a yellow breast. I'm always pleased to spot one.

A lovely wee male NI tomtit / miromiro (Petroica macrocephala) at Fensham's Reserve in Carterton.

#nzbirds #birdsseenin2025 #birds #tomtit #miromiro #NewZealand

That's lovely. I would have liked it on the blog, but I don't have whatever the platform is. Well done.