Louise Thomas
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loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Louise Thomas
@loutheartybirder.bsky.social
250 followers 110 following 190 posts
Keen birder, painter, and writer; nature photography; science writer and editor; artist; New Zealand
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loutheartybirder.bsky.social
#Birdoftheday #reflections White heron (Ardea alba) on the prowl.
White heron (Ardea alba)
December 2, 2025 at 2:03 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Variable oystercatcher on Waikanae Beach - I'm going for some arty brown tones.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand #oystercatcher #birding #nzbirds #bird
Variable oystercatcher
December 2, 2025 at 1:56 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
@robcrank68.bsky.social says it's #MammalMonday, it's #tacotuesday where I'm from, but I appreciate I live in the future here in New Zealand. How could I not post this guy?
Black-faced lamb.
December 2, 2025 at 1:53 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #GroundedGulls is the theme set by @robcrank68.bsky.social. How about a black-billed gull / Tarāpuka (Chroicocephalus bulleri) from New Zealand. One of the rarest gulls in the world.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #nzbirds #birding
Black-billed gull
November 21, 2025 at 11:06 PM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Bird of the day, #staredown, #birdoftheday. Could you be more intimated than by this Southern black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus), New Zealand, @robcrank68.bsky.social ?
Southern black-backed gull
November 17, 2025 at 11:21 PM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
A wee paradise shelduckling / pūtangitangi (Tadorna variegata) at the Wellington Botanic Gardens.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand #nzbirds #birds #birding #birdwatching
November 17, 2025 at 11:15 PM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Bird of the Day, #shadesofgrey, #birdoftheday. How about a white-faced heron from New Zealand?
November 16, 2025 at 8:21 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Feeding time for the royal spoonbills / kōtuku ngutupapa (Platalea regia) at Ration Point in Pauatahanui. I watched them pull up several small flounder, I had no idea they were such good fisherfolk.

#nzbirds #spoonbills #birding #birdwatching #pauatahanui #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand
Royal spoonbills, New Zealand
November 16, 2025 at 8:18 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Fernbird / mātātā (Poodytes punctatus) at Pāuatahanui on Sunday. They were more bold than usual - it must be the time of year. We saw several chasing each other out in the open (they are usually shy).

#nzbirds #pāuatahanui #birding #birdwatching #fernbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand #birdoftheday
Fernbird Fernbird
November 3, 2025 at 10:57 PM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
A kererū / New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) showing off its magnificent floofy pantaloons at the Wellington Botanic Gardens on Saturday.

#kererū #newzealandpigeon #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #wellingtonbotanicgardens #birdphotography #birdsofnz #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025
New Zealand pigeon / kereru
October 27, 2025 at 4:42 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Sacred kingfisher / kōtare (Todiramphus sanctus) in the front yard at home - you really don't have to go far to appreciate something beautiful. I love the Hutt Valley.

#nzbirds #lovethehutt #kingfisher #kōtare #sacredkingfisher #birding #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #NewZealand
October 25, 2025 at 5:48 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
I love finding whiteheads / pōpokotea (Mohoua albicilla) in the bush - I never knew they existed until I took up birding, and was so excited to see them on the Korokoro Dam loop track in Lower Hutt. This particular chap in on the loop track at Mt Bruce a few weeks ago.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025
whitehead bird New Zealand
October 22, 2025 at 6:05 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
I took this photo out of the upstairs hide (aka my bedroom) on Friday. If you look closely you can see the house, and me leaning out the window - how is that for branding a photo? Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #tui #birds #nzbirding
Tui
October 13, 2025 at 2:26 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
A beautiful wee yellow-crowned parakeet / kākāriki (Cyanoramphus auriceps) at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Mt Bruce, Masterton. Not much bigger than sparrows, and our smallest parrot species.

#nzbirds #birding #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025 #parakeet #parrot #NewZealand #bird
Yellow-crowned parakeet
October 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Mute swan looking very elegant, Henley Lake in Masterton.

#nzbirds #swan #muteswan #birding #birdwatching #birdsseenin2025 #NewZealand #birds
October 1, 2025 at 4:28 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Who's a naughty bird, then? Kākā / brown parrot (Nestor meridionalis) just before it started stripping bark off a tree at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Mt Bruce, Masterton.

#nzbirds #kaka #parrots #mastertonnz #birding #birdwatching #NewZealand #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds
September 29, 2025 at 1:46 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
A very busy, teeny, tiny female rifleman / tītitipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris) gathering nesting supplies. Today at the Pūkaha Wildlife Reserve at Mt Bruce. These are New Zealand's smallest bird, weighing 4-6 grams.

#rifleman #tītitipounamu #newzealandbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #nzbirds #birds
September 27, 2025 at 8:42 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Nesting pied shag / kāruhiruhi (Phalacrocorax varius) rocking the 1970s Maybelline makeup range. Waimanu Lagoon, Waikanae.

#piedshag #birds #cormorant #waimanulagoon #waikanae #nzbirds #birdphotography #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand
September 22, 2025 at 1:46 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
I had thought that these birds were imaginary - I had never seen one before, and the name sounds more like a Shakespearean insult. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Edwardes Lake, Melbourne.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Aussiebirds #birds #grebe #Australia
September 20, 2025 at 4:48 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
Royal spoonbill / Kōtuku ngutupapa (Platalea regia) with itchy bits. Can relate. Waimanu Lagoon, Waikanae.

#royalspoonbill #kotukungutupapa #newzealandbirds #birdphotography #birdwatching #waikanae #waimanu #spoonbill #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #NewZealand
September 18, 2025 at 1:01 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
This lovely little lass is the female superb fairy wren. Port Campbell, Victoria. Definitely understated compared to the males.

#superbfairywren #fairywren #australianbirds #birdphotography #birdwatching #portcampbell #wildlifephotography #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds
September 17, 2025 at 3:13 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
A male superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) was glowing (well, his bottom was) in the early light at Port Campbell beach, Victoria. Spectacular little birds.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Australia #birding #birds #fairywren #birdwatching
Superb fairywren
September 10, 2025 at 3:36 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
What could be more Australian than a couple of rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) having a wee pash in a gum tree.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Australia #birds #aussiebirds #parrots #rainbowlorikeets #birding #birdwatching
Rainbow lorikeets
September 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
One of several gorgeous galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) I saw around the Melbourne area - this one along Edgars Stream in Coburg North. What a stunner. Such a nice colour for spring.

#galah #parrot #australianbirds #birdwatching #birdsofaustralia #birding #aussiebirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #springvibes
Galah
September 4, 2025 at 8:26 AM
loutheartybirder.bsky.social
This spectacular looking chap is a male red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) - the missus was dressed much less flamboyantly. Woodlands Reserve, Hume, Victoria, Australia.

#redrumpedparrot #parrots #aussiebirds #birdwatching #wildlifephotography #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birding #australia
male red-rumped parrot
September 1, 2025 at 4:21 AM