Close up picture of a takahe

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:28:04 +1200

Photograph of South Island Takahe. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.

[south island takahe photo]

Male South Island Takahe close up photo.

Another quick photo post while I'm at it. Its a close up picture of Greg the Takahe, from Tiritiri Matangi Island last year. I found this pic while looking through my ever increasing backlog of photographs. Its actually an alternative edit of my other Takahe photograph published, which I guess I'd decided not to publish. Usually I'd never bother posting two versions of the same photo, or even two photos from the same series. But this one does look good, so why not. Perhaps I should review that policy.

Related photographs : South Island Takahe, Kakapo, Kokako.

This is photographic post #15 for 2010.

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South Island Takahe Information.

Other names : Notornis, Moho (although only for North Island subspecies).
Abundance (In NZ): Extremely rare.
New Zealand Status : Fully protected endangered endemic (only found in NZ).
Found (in NZ): "Takahe Valley" in the South Island. Selected protected Islands and restricted entry reserves.
Subspecies photographed : Prophyrio mantelli hochstetteri from New Zealand's South Island.

Takahe Close Up Photograph.
Image Description:	Close up photo of a male Takahe. Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	15th April 2009.
Focal Length:	105mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	157mm	Aperture:	f/5.6
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/40th second.
Light Source:	Cloudy.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
ISO:	400		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-105mm VR.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip. Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack.
Software:	Converted from RAW with Nikon Capture NX. Post edited with The Gimp 2.4.
Photo edits:	Crop and align. Slight levels. Border and scale.
Photographer Comments:		Alternative edit of already published photo.
Model Credit:	Takahe.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

I will find some more original bird photos to post tomorrow.

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Cheers,
Glen.

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Photograph of a Takahe

nospam@example.com (Glen) — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:14:30 +1200

Photo of a Takahe on Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.

[takahe picture]

Woohoo photo number 3 for the year.
This is a photograph of a Takahe on Tiritiri Matangi Island. I think this is "Greg", but I'm not 100% sure. I'll need to look up some photos from the Island and compare the leg bands. Takahe are the most amazing birds. Its a real treat to be able to get this close to one. I completely recommend a trip to Tiri, if for no other reason than to see Takahe in the flesh.

This is of course a South Island Takahe. Its such a shame that there are only about 200 left in the world. Its even more sad when you think that the North Island Takahe (Moho) is extinct, and has probably only been for a few generations.

Photograph taken with my Nikon D300 DSLR, of course.

Some information about the South Island Takahe.

The South Island Takahe is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct in 1898. However, after a carefully planned search effort the bird was rediscovered by Dr Geoffrey Orbell near Lake Te Anau in the Murchison Mountains, South Island, on November 20, 1948.

The Takahe is the largest living member of the Rallidae; its overall length is up to 63 cm (24.8 in) and its average weight is about 2.75 kg (6 lbs), ranging from 1.8-4.2 kg (4-9.2 lbs). It is a stocky bird, with reduced wings, strong legs and a massive bill.

The adult Takahe is mainly purple-blue in colour, with a greenish back and inner wings. It has a red frontal shield and red-based pink bill. The legs are pink. Sexes are similar, the females being slightly smaller, but young birds have mainly pale brown plumage.

The Takahe is found in alpine grasslands habitats today, although it is known to have inhabited most of New Zealand. It eats a wide range of plant food, and its diet is similar to that of the pukeko (Know to Australian's as a Purple Swamphen), the closest living relative of the Takahe and the Moho (North Island Takahe). The Takahe can often be seen to pluck a snow grass stalk, taking it into one claw and eating only the soft lower parts which is a favorite food. The rest is discarded.
You can read more over at Wikipedia.

South Island Takahe data.

Maori Name : Takahe.
Abundance : Extremely Rare.
Status : Endemic, protected.
Found : A small number of Island sanctuaries, Mt Bruce wildlife centre, and the Murchison Mountains in the South Island.
The Takahe has a New Zealand conservation status of "Nationally Critical". The most seriously threatened of species in NZ.
Please visit the Department Of Conservations Takahe pages, to see what you can to help the Takahe.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/takahe/you-can-help/

Takahe photograph information.
Image Description:	Takahe Portrait, Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
Camera Make:	Nikon Corporation.	Camera Model:	Nikon D300 Digital SLR (DSLR).	Date:	15th April 2009.
Focal Length:	105mm	35mm Equiv Focal Length:	157mm	Aperture:	f/5.6
White Balance:	Manual.	Flash Used:	No.	Exposure Time:	1/40th of a second.
Light Source:	Cloudy.	Metering Mode:	Spot.	Exposure Mode:	Manual.
Software:	Post editing with The Gimp 2.4.
Accessories Utilised:	Nikon MB-D10 battery grip, Scandisk Extream IV CompactFlash. Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion battery pack.
Photographer Comments:	My first published Takahe photograph.		Lens Used:	Nikkor 18-105mm VR DX lens. The "kit" lens from the D90.
Model Credit:	Takahe.	Photograph Copyright: ©	Glen Webber 2009. All rights reserved.

GCN News:
As you can see I'm still playing with things. There is now a title on the photo.
I might add this to the others in the future.

Also my second photo I can add to the New Zealand Birds section of GCN.

Cyas all,
Glen.

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