Kaka in Pohutukawa

[Simon Bennett]

North Island Kaka feeding on Yellow Pohutukawa blossum on Kapiti Island, New Zealand. These large forest parrots have a brush tongue to aid feeding on flowers like lorikeets.

Canon 40D, EF70-200 f/4 IS @ 144mm, built-in flash, handheld, ISO 400, 1/60, f/4, vertical crop from horizontal image.

[Peregrine Craig Nash]

I am going to Kapiti in february so all your images are inspiring me!!!

[Simon Bennett]

I am going to Kapiti in february...

It's a fantastic place Peregrine, they have done a great job of eliminating introduced possums, rats and other predators, so the birds are just so tame. Just make sure you take a short telephoto, I took my 500mm over there, but ended up using the 70-200 a lot of the time. Also, stay overnight in the lodge, that will give you great photo opportunities - the day trips plunk you there in the middle of the day.

[Ian McHenry]

Hi Simon
Beautiful detail and neat body position.
Will have to take a trip up there !!!
Cheers: Ian Mc

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great find, setting and details and might blur the BG some more. I don't think I have seen this species before, thanks for sharing.

[Tony Whitehead]

Lovely, typical Kaka pose. The predator free islands are fanatastic. I might be tempted to process 2 versions of this image, one for the bird as here and another with reduced exposure to darken the vegatation then combine them as layers and mask to reveal the bird in slightly darker surroundings. As it stands the vegetation looks a it overflashed but you need the light for the dark plumage.

[Stu Bowie]

Lovely looking parrot, with the perfect pose. Well captured Simon.