Off the city of Auckland lies an island nature preserve called Tiritiri for short. They’ve gone to a lot of effort to eradicate non-native species of animals (especially rats) and are working on non-native, invasive plants. It’s a great place to see birds that are rare elsewhere in New Zealand.
Being an island, though, it’s also visited by common birds, like the red-billed gull. Again, sometimes the fun doesn’t lie in the identification . . .
Now where did I leave my glasses?
Does he really have red feet?? neat!
Alison – He really does, and yes it is neat. While in the Galapagos taking pictures of the blue-footed booby, I mused about trying to get pictures of all booby species, including the red-footed one. Different islands, different seasons, I think, so quite impractical. But a cool idea.
Tiritiri Matangi sounds like the refrain for a song and this gull is decked out for vaudeville. When it finds those glasses, and a tiny little cane, I can picture its geriatric song and dance to the rhythm of the waves, Tiritiri Matangi.
Laurna – That little cane brings up images of “Puttin’ on the ritz.” Sooper-dooper!
Don’t think I’ve ever seen a bird photographed from this low-down, stalking angle. His back end seems more “Stars & Stripes” to me. Well, stars.
Barbara – It’s quite an attractive back-end, isn’t it? And sort of unexpected. Polka dots!