Hebridean adventures

 Last month, I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the Outer Hebrides - this first stint was an action packed trip involving several islands with little time for the patient sit, wait and watch technique I favour for my wildlife photography. The scenery, people and wildlife I witnessed left me gripped, I knew I had to return, and soon, as I will shortly be leaving the UK for the foreseeable future.

 A few days after arriving back in Oxfordshire an opportunity arose to visit Mingulay (a small island south of Barra) in my capacity as a photographer. Mingulay was inhabited until the early 20th century but since then has been owned by cofters from Barra, and more recently by the National Trust for Scotland. The NTS manage the island for the wildlife, including sea bird colonies, Corncrakes, Golden eagles, Peregrines, and very large variety of field mouse only slightly smaller than the better known St. Kilda field mouse.  The list goes on.. The island is also home to some fantastic botanical treats, Heath Spotted Orchid, Northern Marsh Orchid, Butterworts and Round-leaved Sundews to name a few that I picked up on..

 With the lack of intensive agriculture, chemical usage and other human induced factors, many bird species such as stonechat, wheatear, cuckoo, spotted flycatcher and starling seemed far more abundant than at most mainland sites.

 To get to Mingulay, I took a Caledonian MacBrayne (calmac) ferry from Oban to Castlebay, Barra. I then had to wait it out in Castlebay for two days until the sea conditions calmed and allowed passage to Mingulay on a chartered fishing boat operated by Donald MacCleud (http://www.barrafishingcharters.com/), a very friendly and knowledgeable chap based on Barra. Castlebay is very pleasant and there are some great walks to be done from there, especially around Vatersay.

 There is a beach on Mingulay, but it is often harder to land on the beach than the rocks off to either side, plus the beach is often covered in hundreds and sometimes thousands of basking grey seals - which it wouldn't do to disturb. Once on Mingulay, you are isolated, with no means of contacting the outside world unless you bring a satellite phone. And being that sea conditions in the Outer Hebrides can change rapidly, it is wise to bring plenty of contingency supplies - I have heard of a group of climbers being stranded for a week longer than they intended. Happily, I camped on the island for my 6 nights, and was able to leave at the scheduled time and date, by which point I was ready for a shower and a seriously large meal!

My campsite - The Hilleberg did a great job of keeping out the elements. It was mostly sunny and HOT (I got slightly burned one day..). Though most early mornings there was some significant rain. This picture was taken at around 11pm - in late May in Northern Scotland it really doesn't get very dark! I used a powermonkey extreme (a portable solar powered battery) to keep the camera batteries etc charged up.

A closer up shot of the beach below where I camped showing the well know Sea Thrift (Armeria maritima).

Other plants I found close to my camping situation included these Heath Spotted Orchids, and flowering Butterworts.

The flattened leaves of this species are covered in tiny sticky hairs and emit chemical attractants to lure in their small insect prey - the well known and little loved midge! A most welcome neighbour to have..

An in-situ shot to show the environment these orchids grow in.

And a close up..

 Now onto the more important subjects, the birds! First things first, Great Skuas. After setting up camp, straight off I grabbed my gear, and headed to the high ground to scope out locations. I have a great love of skuas, they are perhaps too brutal for some, but I find their behaviour and their boldness amazing to watch and photograph.

This guy wasn't too hard to spot..

And was very obliging! Definitely king of this cairn.

Skuas have a fantastic way of displaying, whether in a show of aggression, territoriality or to potential mates. Wings back, neck arched and bill wide open - nothing says I'm a badass bird like a skua!

Should another Skua ignore the threat scenes like the following follow and happen at break neck speeds.

A few more close up flight shots.

Finally, one of my favourites Skua shots, taken with the last light of the day.

The next subject is less menacing, and a bird that just about anyone from the British Isles should be able to identify. Puffins! I actually found it hard to capture puffin images that had originality to them, puffins are such well loved birds (and you don't have to go all the way to Mingulay to photograph them). Non the less I enjoyed my time with them, and did my best. 

The next subject, the Northern Fulmar, is one of the few Procellariiformes, or 'tube-noses' that can be seen with ease and at close quarters around the UK. 

I liked the backlighting in the image below.

 It's always pleasing capturing an image of the back of the bird, wings spread!

Leaving the nest in search of food.

I had to try for some time before I achieved an image that I was happy with where the face and body of the Fulmar are sharp, but significant motion blur can be seen on the wings. I hope to improve on this technique at the next opportunity.

Fulmars are great birds to photograph, they are very endearing and have subtly beautiful plumage. They also formed a important component of the diet of the islanders that once inhabited Mingulay. Each bird contains around a quarter litre of oil, which was also an important fuel for the islanders. The islanders of St. Kilda are better known for their reliance and also export of Fulmar products.

Whilst waiting patiently by a cliff attempting to photograph razorbills in flight, this beauty decided to check me out - maybe the eagle had high hopes that I'd fall and become carrion!?

 A razorbill in flight - thankfully there was no falling involved and I didn't end up as an eagles brunch.

Ringed Plover made their presence known on the beach at Mingulay at every chance.

Finally, last but certainly not least, Corncrakes, aptly named Crex crex for their incredible call. I hadn't actually expected to encounter these on Mingulay but there seemed to be four calling males. Though I could often hear the calls of these birds, I found it very difficult to photograph them, they were very secretive - and sitting and waiting hidden away, fighting off midges for long periods of time was required to get the images below.

This chap woke me up several times during my first couple of nights.. By the third I was tired enough to sleep through his racket! I'm glad I managed to take his picture..

This Corncrake is passing through the ruins of a chapel on Mingulay. 

Enjoy!

Buller's Albatross

Buller's Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) or mollymawk is one of the smallest of the Albatross, and one of the most beautiful. The species is currently split into a northern and a southern sub-species, the southern race breeds mainly on the Snares Islands whereas the northern race breed mostly around the Chathams. The birds I photographed offshore to the East and South-East of Stewart island were most likely Southern birds, which tend to have more yellow on the bill and the forehead is defined as being more silvery-white than silvery-grey as in the northern race. Birds of the Southern race are often seen off the coasts of South Island, though outside of the breeding season they migrate across the Pacific and can be seen closer to Chile and Peru.

These close-ups illustrate the striking and beautiful head and bill colouration.

A bird sat on the water.

The two photos below reveal the under wing.

The back and upper wing.

For the below photograph I attempted to create some panning blur, not an easy task when standing on a small boat with a bit of swell.. That's my excuse anyway!

And finally just for fun..

Northern and Southern Royal Albatross

This post contains information regarding the identification of Northern (Diomedia sanfordi) and Southern Royal albatross (Diomedia epomophora) including comparative photographs. These species are huge and sit within the group known as the great albatrosses alongside the similarly sized Wandering Albatross species complex. One way of separating this species from the wanderers is to look for a black edge along the upper mandible of the bill - if present you have either a Northern or Southern Royal albatross. Distinction of adult Northern and Southern Royal Albatross can be achieved by examining the leading edge of the inner upper wing, which is distinctly white in adult Southern Royal Albatross. Southern Royal Albatross are also more humpbacked than Northern Royals and Wandering Albatross.

Both species range widely over the Southern oceans but are New Zealand breeding endemics, with most Southern Royals breeding on Campbell Island and most Northern Royals breeding on the Chathams.

The white edge of the inner upper wing can be seen clearly on the adult Southern Royal in the two images below.

Below is a younger Southern Royal with more black on its wings, the white leading edge is still prominent. Note the humpback, more prominent than in the adult Northern Royal Albatross (2nd shot down).

The photograph below shows the black edge along the inside of the upper mandible on a Southern Royal.

The bird below is an adult New Zealand or Gibson's Wandering Albatross (Diomedia antipodensis gibsoni), note the vermiculations along the back and the lack of any black on the mandible.

As Southern Royal Albatross age, their plumage becomes more white, below is a mature adult bird.

The photographs below shots an adult Northern Royal Albatross for plumage comparison. Northern Royal Albatross are the only great albatross to retain fully black upper wings in adult plumage.

Watching Southern Royal Albatross interact was an awesome and unforgettable experience.

These birds were all seen and photographed either from Kaikoura or to the East of Stewart Island.

Enjoy!

Storm-petrels of New Zealand

On any birding trip to New Zealand, the many possible Procellariformes are going to be a highlight, within this most wonderful order, the storm-petrels and especially the relatively recently rediscovered (2003) New Zealand Storm-petrel are often at the top of one's wishlist. As well as the NZ Storm-petrel, White-Faced and Grey-Backed may be encountered, less often seen are the Antarctic dwelling Black-Bellied and also Wilson's.. There is an ocean of possibility, especially during and after extreme weather events. During my trip I encountered four storm-petrel species and photographed three well. Again, the boat trips (and weather conditions!?) were all organised by Wrybill (http://www.wrybill-tours.com/)

First and in my opinion foremost, the New Zealand Storm-petrel (appropriately, Fregatta maoriana). This species is usually seen in the Hauraki Gulf, though I believe there are several records off Whitianga and even a couple of accepted records now in Australian waters, so how far they range is up in the air. The species breeds on one of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, Little Barrier Island I believe. 

First, a comparison shot of a NZ Storm-petrel alongside White-faced. Note the size difference. The two species also behave differently with the NZ Storm-petrel generally having a much faster and more bouncy flight. White-faced will feed in a relatively stable position, whereas the NZ Storm-petrels certainly didn't stay put for long. 

Below, a feeding pass. The birds were attracted to the boat by 'chum', discarded waste products from the fishing industry which this chap/ess(?) made the most off. 

A storm-petrel dancing along the water. Note the streaking on the white belly.

The below photograph is one of my top shots of the trip for sure. A backlit bird skipping across the water having just made a feeding pass. 

Next up, White-faced Storm-petrels. Three of the six subspecies have been recorded in NZ waters, I will not attempt to identify to sub species level but it is likely that the birds I photographed are 'maoriana' the subspecies that breeds on the New Zealand mainland, Auckland Islands and Chathams. I observed this species in the Hauraki, offshore from Kaikoura and also to the east of Stewart Island.

Below is my favourite shot of this species. It took several hundred attempts to get this low to the water, forward facing positioning. A key factor was waiting for a bird to be high in the swell whilst the boat was positioned lower down. 

Finally, this is my one and only photograph of a very grey looking Black-bellied Storm-petrel. This bird didn't stick around unfortunately.  Photo taken offshore to the east of Stewart Island.

Enjoy and feel free to comment/share with anyone who might enjoy this post. 

Wrybill

Anarhynchus frontalis

This small, bizarre and endearing species is the only species of bird in the world to have a bill bent entirely in one direction, possibly an adaptation giving a foraging advantage along the pebble banks of its breeding grounds. It is found only in New Zealand, where it breeds on the braided rivers of the South Island. Unfortunately, like many endemic New Zealand birds, they are vulnerable to predation by introduced mammalian predators such as stoats and rats. This problem may intensify in the future as some braided rivers are colonised by an invasive algae which chokes smaller channels and can open up previously inaccessible dry areas of the riverbed. We will see what the future holds.

Outside of the breeding season, Wrybill can be found around certain coastal mud flats and estuaries of the North Island, such as the Firth of Thames, where some of these pictures were taken. In order to get within photo range, I positioned myself low to the ground either along a water edge where birds were feeding or 30 yards or so from where individuals were roosting. In all cases, after a relatively short period of time spent patiently watching and waiting, Wrybill approached me to within 3m - much too close to photograph but an unforgettable and refreshing experience. 

 This individual above was particularly curious, here on the approach the bend in the bill is fairly evident. 

Below, some reflections, this bird spent some time posing at an ideal range. 

The bird below is roosting during a high tide, this was one of a flock of perhaps 200. 

As the tide came back in, birds started to wake up. First things first - a good stretch followed by a yawn!

Finally, the birds headed down  the beach to start foraging.. 

I attempted to take some flight shots, however both the sessions I spent with these birds I ended up in a position from which I found it exceedingly difficult to achieve. I will add to this that don't have much experience photographing wading birds in flight - a nice challenge that I will come back to soon hopefully! 

New Zealand part one, Kea

After a long period of absence I decided it was about time I updated my blog. Since March last year I have had many interesting wildlife encounters, some in the UK, many in Mexico where I conducted herpetological survey work for Operation Wallacea through June-August and more recently in New Zealand. On this particular trip despite a unique and fascinating reptile fauna present my focus was solely on birds (though I did manage to photograph a tuatara..). Those who know me will instantly think, New Zealand must have some pretty special birds and you are correct! Over the past month I've clocked up around 165 species, including many endemic species, I haven't tallied up how many of these I photographed but it's certainly a good number. One of my favourites has to be the Kea, a bird well known for pulling the rubber off car windows and otherwise damaging vehicles. Personally I find them very endearing, they are clearly highly intelligent and are great to watch in their high alpine habitat.

A brief update for friends reading this, aside from working overseas and the odd photo trip I spent much of the past few months working as an ecological consultant which is currently on hold for the time being with other plans shaping up. All in all it's been an action filled year and it's flown by, so to those who I haven't kept up with as well as I would have liked, I'll be back in the UK from early March when I plan to catch up with some of you (Matthew Bruce etc) in Rugby. I should then be around for most of March and April and would love to spend time catching up.

A big thank you to Brent Stephenson for hosting and helping me to locate and photograph all these birds! If you are interested in arranging any birding trips to NZ, Brent is the person to get in touch with. His blog http://b1rder.blogspot.co.nz/ and his guiding website http://www.wrybill-tours.com/.

A Kea appearing inquisitive as ever.

A Kea nicely framed by the late afternoon sunlight.

This Kea is honing it's ever growing bill - all the better for chewing up cars ;)

A pair flying gliding by a dramatic waterfall.

Finally, last but not least, one of my favourite shots of this species, an adult bird showing off it's beautiful under wing as it approaches its elevated perch.

Next up will likely be a selection of sea birds.. Stay tuned!