Whio

Whio or Blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos)
This has had about 40% cropped. I like the habitat in the original but thought this would show the bird better here. Before you say that the bird could stand out more I should mention that they are actually well camouflaged in the bouldery rivers where they are found (think rain, mist, deep shade and blue duck coloured boulders) and I liked that about this shot. Oh yea, and they are mainly seen around dawn and dusk. I have others which illustrate the camo better but you would have to excuse the branch growing out of its head :roll:
I’m determined to get some better shots of these soon. Last I heard they are expected to be functionally extinct in the wild outside of heavily managed areas within 10 years (and that was a couple of years ago). That will be very sad if it happens. These guys are a part of tramping in the mountains in NZ that most people cherish. Also one of the few white water ducks in the world.

E100GX
EOS100
EF300/2.8 + 2xII
550EX @ -2 (but might not have fired)
1/20 @ f8