January 2018

French Pass - Marlborough Sounds NZ

View from the French Pass road looking towards French Pass and D'Urville Island

View from French Pass road looking down the coast

Looking down the coastal bays from French Pass road

French Pass - Marlborough Sounds

Looking down to the coastal bays

Fitzroy Bay, Pelorus Sound

Marlborough Sounds

French Pass - Marlborough Sounds

View looking down the coastal bays with D'Urville Island on the left.

French Pass village

Marlborough Sounds

Fitzroy Bay - Marlborough Sounds

We launched at this beautiful beach for lunch while out fishing for the day in the Sounds.

Tui feeding on harakeke flower nectar

Elaine Bay - Marlborough Sounds NZ

Tui feeding on harakeke flower nectar

Elaine Bay - Marlborough Sounds

Tui feeding on harakeke flowers

Elaine Bay - Marlborough Sounds

Pied Shag with a Blue Cod

This fish was a catch and release just undersized Blue Cod. We threw it back in the water but a nearby Shag dived down under the boat and scooped it up still alive and managed to eat it after a struggle!

Crested Grebe

Grebe having a bad hair day!

Grebe gathering nesting material.

Male Grebe adding material to the nest.

There was lots of activity with nest building just prior to the first egg being laid.

Female Grebe starting to lay an egg #1

The male Grebe investigating the progress

Crested Grebe laying an egg #2

It's all too much for the male Grebe he's had to look the other way.

Crested Grebe laying the first egg for this nest. #3

Crested Grebe just finished laying it's first egg #4

Very proud Grebe Dad inspecting the egg #5

After the female laid the egg she didn't even turn around to look at it. She did a rapid flutter of her feathers for quite and few seconds then went straight into the water to get more nesting material to build up around it.

Male Grebe moving the egg. #6

The female is about to go into the lake to fetch more nesting material, while the male has repositioned the egg.

Male Grebe sorting out the nest just after the first egg had been laid. #7

Meanwhile the female Grebe was in the water fetching more nesting material to protect her new egg.

Male Grebe renovating the nest after the first egg had been laid.

The female delivered all this nesting material straight after laying her egg to the male at the nest.

Male Grebe turning the eggs

A second egg has been laid at the nest.

Male Grebe turning the 3 eggs!

Egg # 3, the female seems to be laying every second day so far!