No Escape

Kotuku. Canterbury Museum.May 2008. Ajr

When I was in the Australian outback recently I was blown away by the extent of the birdlife and I regretted not having taken my SLR and telephoto lens. I was very disappointed with my bird photos and I considered giving up on birds as photographic subjects althogether. However, when I was in Canterbury Museum on Tuesday afternoon (trying to escape the cold), I found my forte – dead birds!! They can’t escape and I don’t need a telephoto lens. I was rather taken with this picturesque little diorama featuring our very beautiful white heron – Kotuku in Maori and Egretta alba to the ornithologists. The only nesting colony of white heron in New Zealand is found on the Waitangiroto River, near the coast at Okarito Lagoon in South Westland and you'll need to take a tour to see them. www.whiteherontours.co.nz www.canterburymuseum.com