Birds

Red-billed Gull

Kaikoura, New Zealand - 02 Feb 2025      See on Google Maps

Today would be a big day. I loaded up my big lens for the Albatross Encounter excursion. It was a tiny boat holding about 10 people. I snagged a seat at the rear, so I could take pictures port or starboard. We headed several miles off shore to the feeding grounds for the sea birds. As the captain threw out small fish the birds swooped around us.

This was the first real test for my 200-800 lens. I turned on eye tracking and high burst mode and then worked to track the birds flying all around us - very difficult.

I bumped the speed of the shutter way up to freeze the birds and lowered the aperture to allow for a relatively low ISO (set to auto). It worked great i captured several great shots for the birds. This Red-billed Gull was a fun one because of his red bill and feet.

Cal Holman Posted on 26 Sep 2026

EXIF