Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Just another manic #Friding

Brendan Moyle • Aug 26, 2016

• auckland cycling,
• cycling,
• Friding

It’s not been the best week for cycling in Auckland. It’s not that you can’t bike in the rain. But I got hit with some unanticipated wet stuff, so had to dry clothes off.  I was pleased to have a good day for biking today.  Well, good in the sense it has stopped raining.  The head-wind wasn’t as appreciated. We … Read More

Sunday Seascape 21 August

Brendan Moyle • Aug 22, 2016

• Auckland photos,
• Hauraki Gulf,
• Hauraki Gulf photos,
• nzphotos,
• seascape,
• Waiake

Sunday is my time for seascape photography. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out where the weekend goes.  But by Sunday afternoon it was time to visit a beach and absorb some of that lovely, NZ fresh air.  The cool weather means we have practically no heat haze at the moment.  That produces a nice clarity in images this time of … Read More

Sunday Seascape – 7 August

Brendan Moyle • Aug 08, 2016

• Auckland photos,
• Hauraki Gulf,
• Long Bay,
• long bay regional park,
• NZ photos,
• seascape

I got a new lens just before I went to China.  It’s a 135mm prime.  More specifically, it is the Sony 135mm f2.8 T4.5 STF lens.  The 135mm focal length has created a perspective I haven’t often used.  So part of the weekend goal was to practice composing photos at this length.  It also make sit easier to decide … Read More

Tigers and people don’t play well together

Brendan Moyle • Jul 25, 2016

• conservation,
• tiger,
• tiger attacks

The news this weekend included mention of the attacks on two women in China, in a tiger safari park. Tigers are very efficient predators.  The Amur (Siberian) tiger for instance, can grow up to 250kg.  It is the largest of the large cat species, and a very efficient predator.  In Asia they have long killed people, in numbers that … Read More

Sunday Seascape- 24 July

Brendan Moyle • Jul 24, 2016

• bay of islands,
• beer,
• hole in the rock,
• NZ photos,
• seascape photos,
• sunday seascape

Well, I got back in NZ on Friday.  It was just for a quick meeting in Beijing on Asiatic black-bear conservation. China is home to more than just pandas.  Although that’s easy to overlook given the amount of merchandise with bears on it.  I even found a decent beer there (Panda Eyes Red Honey Ale) using pandas.  No pandas of … Read More

Some good and bad news with Sumatran tigers

Brendan Moyle • Jul 04, 2016

• Sumatran tiger,
• tiger,
• tiger conservation,
• tiger poaching

I’ve been in Asia of late, and finished up at the Conservation Asia conference.  This isn’t just a place to present your own research, but also a place to learn more about what it happening elsewhere. I like to go to sessions I know little about.  Especially the fields of conservation biology that tend to be neglected.  So amphibians and … Read More

Sunday Seascape 19 June

Brendan Moyle • Jun 19, 2016

• duotone,
• NZ photos,
• Okura BUsh Walkway,
• Okura Estuary,
• pohutakawa,
• seascape

The teaching semester has come to an end.  I’m about to go back to Asia next weekend.  It felt like a good time to escape into some local forests and beaches.  So, it was off on the Okura Bush Walkway.  As the goal was really, just to get away from everything and go on a hike, I kept the … Read More

Here comes the rain again – #Friding in Auckland

Brendan Moyle • Jun 10, 2016

• auckland cycling,
• congestion,
• Friding,
• global warming

The bike has a new chain and gear cables.  It helped yesterday’s ride to work. Under 16 minutes moving time.  Four new records on different segments of the ride.  Today though is Friday, and I’m back #Friding.  I could hear the rain most of the night.  The neighbour’s cat broke into the bedroom and glued himself to my legs.  He … Read More

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Back to #Friding

Brendan Moyle • Jun 03, 2016

• auckland cycling,
• Auckland photos,
• fitness,
• Friding,
• running

My bike has needed a bit of serious maintenance ahead of winter. That’s handicapped the cycling this week.  Given how wet it has been, that may have been a good thing.  Anyway, it was back to my regular Friday cycling.  I pondered whether it was worth wearing leg-warmers as it was getting rather chilly.  In the end I just picked … Read More

10 Facts About Crocodiles

Brendan Moyle • Jun 02, 2016

• crocodile,
• crocodile attacks,
• estuarine crocodile,
• saltie,
• saltwater crocodile

As possibly the only New Zealander to be a member of the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, it seemed timely to introduce a few facts about crocodiles. All photos below were taken with me during work (except for the alligator at the bottom) in the Northern Territory of Australia.  I had lookouts to help take the photos… The Estuarine crocodile is … Read More