Puteketeke - Australasian Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus
Photographed from the Hart Creek Hide at Lake Ellesmere. Photography was very difficult, straight into the sun and with reflection off the lake adding to the silhouette effect. I had to over expose by three stops to get the detail on the silhouette (viewer's) side. That, combined with the use of a 1.4 converter on the lens has produced the soft effect of these photos.
Found throughout Europe, Africa and parts of Asia to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand these birds breed only in the South Island in lowland lakes west of the Southern Alps and on subalpine and alpine lakes within and east of the main ranges with the greatest occurrence in Canterbury. They are a fully protected and threatened native, having disappeared from much of their former range, although the Canterbury population seems reasonably stable. But their low numbers and relatively few breeding places leave them very vulnerable to human interference and habitat changes.
Their breeding lakes include the Ashburton Lakes in Canterbury where my family own a traditional kiwi bach (basic holiday cottage) and so these birds have been aprt of my family recreational culture and surroundings for many years. Those in these pictures, however, were photographed on Lake Ellesmere near Christchurch city.
Puteketeke - Australasian Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus
Photographed from the Hart Creek Hide at Lake Ellesmere. Photography was very difficult, straight into the sun and with reflection off the lake adding to the silhouette effect. I had to over expose by three stops to get the detail on the silhouette (viewer's) side. That, combined with the use of a 1.4 converter on the lens has produced the soft effect of these photos.
Found throughout Europe, Africa and parts of Asia to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand these birds breed only in the South Island in lowland lakes west of the Southern Alps and on subalpine and alpine lakes within and east of the main ranges with the greatest occurrence in Canterbury. They are a fully protected and threatened native, having disappeared from much of their former range, although the Canterbury population seems reasonably stable. But their low numbers and relatively few breeding places leave them very vulnerable to human interference and habitat changes.
Their breeding lakes include the Ashburton Lakes in Canterbury where my family own a traditional kiwi bach (basic holiday cottage) and so these birds have been aprt of my family recreational culture and surroundings for many years. Those in these pictures, however, were photographed on Lake Ellesmere near Christchurch city.