Toutouwai (South Island Bush Robin)

No cropping at all here. See him larger still.

I know, I know, I've blipped lots of them - but...

Great blipmeet at the Red Barn today - 10 blippers all talking photography in all it's aspects. So many different conversations going on at once that it was impossible to catch them all. We had
Paladian,
Rower2012,
Kiwilizzie,
FarmerGirl,
TMLHereandThere,
AmblingCamera,
Lizimagiz,
Bluemerle,
SeaGypsy49,
and I

What a diverse and interesting group!

BUT... when I left two and a half hours later I still hadn't taken a photo! So, Kiwilizzie and I stopped off at a wee patch of bush 2 minutes from home and went for a wander along the wee loop track, planning to photograph a fern frond or some leaf litter or something. Plans changed rapidly when first a bellbird, then a fantail and finally a robin came to join us.

This wee robin was so friendly that he kept getting too close for me to capture. This shot is completely uncut. All I've done to it is lighten it a little - it was awfully dark in the bush so it's just as well he was prepared to stand still long enough to get clear shots of him.

It made me laugh, I've travelled long distances in order to find robins - and here is one living virtually on my doorstep!