shag nest 2 (commorant)

Posted by jamesy (christchurch, New Zealand) on 9 November 2008 in Animal & Insect.

This is a completely different sort of shag to yesterdays. This is the nest of the Stewart Island shag the rarest shag in the world. This is the only place that they nest on the NZ mainland. You would notice that the nest is made of built up mud and spit, quite different to yesterdays shags. Both types take advantage of the predator free area that protects the breeding area of the Northern Royal Albatross. You can see a pair of breeding albatross at the top right of this picture. Please excuse the focus on these pictures as they were taken from a boat on a sea which was not especially flat.

I really enjoy taking photos and would appreciate your feedback so that I can learn as I go. I particularly enjoy photographing birds animals and landscapes