Tom Wright

Some Albatross close-ups from New Zealand. Pelagics from Kaikoura and Stewart Island offered incredible close views of 6 different species.

An incredible experience cage diving with Great White Sharks at the Titi Islands. This shark was tagged here in early 2025 and has since been up to Fiji and returned back to the Titi Islands just a few days before my trip. Incredible animals.

New Zealand is known for its unique and rare birdlife. Many species are vanishingly rare on the mainland with predator free reserves and islands being the only reason some avoided extinction. Here are a few of my favourites. Species and location in the ALT.

@PaulScarborou19 Thanks Paul. No I didn’t visit the airfield, you need to book on a tour to access. I managed to see a couple in and around Oban on nighttime wanders.

@tom_wright16 Great black stilt photos and the kiwi on ulva Did you go to Stewart Island airfield for the kiwis as well ?

Back home after a fantastic few months travelling around New Zealand. So many amazing birds and even more photos taken. Species and location written in the ALT.

Amazing to see this gorgeous Long-eared Owl nestled on the south coast cliffs @FI_Obs. It's precarious choice to rest shown in the second image with crashing waves behind it!

Woodcock everywhere @FI_Obs, with a grand total of 85 birds counted across the isle. Many birds were sheltering in the geos along the west coast allowing for amazing views of this cryptic species.

@_jdbirder @KentishPlover Awesome!!

Patch gold this morning when I found this RADDE’S WARBLER at King George Park! Skulking in the undergrowth, it eventually showed itself nicely, magic! ebird.org/checklist/S279…

A lovely showy Black-throated Diver spent the afternoon fishing in The Havens. A surprisingly rare bird @FI_Obs, with todays bird being just the 8th isle record.

This lovely Slavonian Grebe has found the North Haven to its liking over the last few days. It spends most of the time under water barely coming up for breath. Today it offered a brief opportunity for a close photograph when it sailed close by the end of the pier. @FI_Obs

A lovely surprise to lay eyes on this Brown Shrike at Chalet with @LukeMarriner_1 this afternoon. It was incredibly mobile, ranging between Pund and Upper Stoneybrek. @FI_Obs

This brilliant pair of juvenile Little Stints were a lovely surprise on Easter Lother Water this morning. @FI_Obs

At least five Barred Warblers @FI_Obs today. They were mostly at home in the croft gardens but this one found its way down in to Kroga Geo. Seeing migrants on the cliffs never gets old!

This gorgeous Wryneck was caught in Vaadal @FI_Obs mid-afternoon. It's a species I'd wanted to see in the hand for a long time. The cryptic brown plumage is just amazing!

This gorgeous juvenile Red-necked Phalarope spent the afternoon spinning around Da Water @FI_Obs. A typically confiding, often coming within a few feet.

This years class of Arctic Skuas have taken to the air @FI_Obs over the last week. They vary from dark chocolate, to ginger fringed birds. Its great to see them having a successful breeding season.

A seabird summer @FI_Obs. It has been great to see so many species having a productive breeding season.

An incredible experience watching a pod of 6 Orca @FI_Obs yesterday evening. Amazing to watch them skirting the cliffs around Buness before heading south.

A trio of gorgeous Dunlin chicks @FI_Obs. Shortly after ringing and releasing the chicks, one of the adults came over and brooded them just a few metres away!

This lovely Marsh Warbler was heard singing at Chalet this afternoon and later caught. @FI_Obs