I have finally had a bit of time to catch up on some image processing from last year so the next few posts will cover a trip in November that included stops at Pūkorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre either side of visting Waipu in Northland. Pūkorokoro Miranda is best known as a site for migratory birds. The Arctic migrants (Bar-tailedGodwits, Red Knots and Pacific Golden Plover) have a high profile and receive quite a bit of media attention. Local migrants include Wrybill, Banded Dotterel, WhiteHeron/Kotuku and South Island Pied Oystercatcher. There are local populations of Royal Spoonbill and a breeding colony of Black-billed Gulls as well as ubiquitous White-faced Heron, Pied Stilts, Paradise Shelducks and Grey Teal. 

As a birdwatching destination Pūkorokoro Miranda is one of the essential stops but photographically over the years it has become more challenging as it has become more developed. In the past it was possible to arrive in the dark and make your way down to lying in the cow urine soaked mud around the stilt ponds and get good close low angle shots on birds. It was also possible to sit low on the shellbank and photograph birds low to the mud or water. With more traffic and better hides and larger restricted areas this is no longer possible and is good from a bird perspective but does limit the types of shots available to compliant photographers.

I still enjoy visiting and love the spectacle of large flocks of waders feeding and in the air. The other thing I enjoy are the Skylarks. There is a large population and at times it seems the entire sky is singing down at you. On these latest trips they were very prolific and I managed a number of afternoon and morning shots.

Photos with Nikon D500 and Nikon 500mm f4VR lens +- TC14 1.4x teleconverter