Mallard Duck (as opposed to Drake) fanning it’s wings on Manawatu waters

Nikon D90, Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 lens

Hand held, VR (image stablisation) off, ISO 200, 200 mm, f/3.5, 1/1000 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus,

Sharpened, light and colour adjusted in Lightroom 4, layered in Photoshop for background/vignette effect.

Taken in forestry between Carterton and the Coast.  Amazingly this Falcon was not too worried about me swapping lenses and slowly approaching close enough for a series of shots

Nikon D600, Nikkon 70-200 f/2.8 lens

ISO 100, 200mm, f/4, 1/800 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus, hand held

Capture One Pro 8 for RAW conversion, cropping and minor adjustments.  Photoshop CS5 for vignette layering effects.

A pair of Wood Pigeons (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae, Kereru) tasting the delights of new christmas plumb leaves in the Pohangina Valley, Manawatu, New Zealand.

Nikon D600, Nikkon 200-400 f/4 VRII lens, hand held, VR set to normal

ISO 200, 400 mm, f/8, 1/640 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus,

Import sharpened and minor adjustments in Capture One Pro 7

The humble sparrow, a juvenile female.

Nikon D600, Nikkon 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens attached to TC14E teleconverter, hand held with VR on

ISO 100, 280mm, f/4, 1/250 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus,

Import sharpening and minor colour and light adjustments in Capture One 7 Pro, final tweaks with Topaz Clarity

NZ Falcon in Wairarapa forestry, lovely against the blue of the sky in soft afternoon sunlight. The warm light belies the chilly mountain air. As I travel the roads and tracks of New Zealand’s north Island high country I have seen a few of these Falcons but this is the first “photo” opportunity.

Nikon D600, Nikkon 70-200 f/2.8 lens, hand held, VR on

ISO 100, 200mm, f/4, 1/800 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus,

Sharpened, light and colour adjusted in Capture One Pro 7. Detail and clarity adjustments with Topaz Labs Detail2 and Clarity.

A small Pohangina valley creek where Fantails feed on small insects like mosquitos! This mosquito is very still on the leaf right in front of the Fantail, as yet unseen.

Nikon D7000, Nikkon 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens, TC-14E 1.4 Teleconverter

ISO 100, 220 mm, f/4, 1/320 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus, hand held, VR on

Sharpened, light and colour adjusted in Lightroom 3 …

Female Mallard Duck

Nikon D90, Nikkon 70-200 f/2.8 lens

ISO 200, 200mm, f/3.2, 1/800 seconds exposure, aperture priority mode, auto focus, single focus point selection

Imported into Lightroom 3.6, first pass sharpen and colour adjustment. Further adjustment layer in PS CS5

New Zealand’s only remaining native owl, the Morepork – Ninox novaeseelandiae. A silent hunter named Ruru by the Maori. The Pohangina valley is home to a number of Moreporks, so named for their call

Nikon D90, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens, Nikon SB900 flash

ISO 200, 200mm, f/4, 1/60 seconds exposure, hand held VR active, Nikon SB900 fill flash

Sharpening, light and colour adjustments in Lightroom 3

New Zealand pigeons are commonly called wood pigeons but are not the same as the Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), which is a member of a different genus. The New Zealand Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) named Kereru by the Maori, grows to some 51 centimetres (20 in) in length and 650 grams (23 oz) in weight. This is one of the many in the Pohangina Valley of New Zealand’s Manawatu region – taken from our bathroom window!

Nikon D90, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens

ISO 200, 170mm, f/2.8, 1/640 seconds exposure in Aperture Priority Mode. Auto focus, hand held with VR on-normal.

Sharpening, light and colour adjustments in Lightroom 3.

There is something regal about the Black Swan with it’s ruffles and poise – Cygnus atratus. Of the seven species of Swan in the world, all are white expcept for two. The Australian Black Swan was introduced as a game bird from Australia to New Zealand in the 1860s

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens, Nikon 1.4 teleconverter

ISO 100, 280mm, f/4.5, 1/1000 seconds exposure in shutter priority mode, auto focus, tripod mounted VR off.

Sharpening, light and colour adjustments in Lightroom 3.