Parklands photographer wins with Heron On A Mission

Parklands photographer Ellie Morgan’s winning image, Heron On A Mission, was taken at Kairaki Creek near Kaiapoi. PHOTO: ELLIE MORGAN

The 2025/26 Waimakariri Nature Photo competition has been won by Christchurch photographer Ellie Morgan.

The Parklands photographer's image, Heron On A Mission, was taken at Kairaki Creek, near Kaiapoi, about noon.

The annual competition is organised by the Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust (WBT). The full list of 2025/26 competition winners can be found here.

Forty seven entries were received and WBT chairwoman, Sandra Stewart, who was also a judge, said she was pleased with the high standard and excellent number of entries, which she believed was a record.

The judges, which also included Kaiapoi Photographic Club member Cushla Moorhead and Canterbury wildlife/landscape photographer Kathy Reid, said Ellie’s photograph was an ‘‘excellent flight shot, sharp and with nice feather details’’.

Another one of Ellie’s photos, Making waves, depicting an Australasian Crested Grebe/ Pu ¯teketeke, taken at the Pegasus Wetlands, also appealed to the judges. It was highly commended in the competition.

Lavina Pockson's Matuku Moana in the Pegasus wetlands was second. Photo: Lavina Pockson

Ellie, who works part-time as a florist and is a semi-professional/hobby photographer on the side, said she was ‘‘stoked’’ to learn that her White-faced Heron/Matuku Moana photo had won first prize in the competition.

‘‘I was happy with the shot, but still didn't expect to win. I will definitely take my camera with me when I take my family to Willowbank (Wildlife Reserve) with my winning voucher,’’ she said.

In 2022 Ellie while studying online with The Photography Institute, where she gained a diploma in professional photography, she was ‘bitten’’ by the bird photography bug.

‘‘I have been out and about taking bird photos in my spare time ever since,’’ she said. Ellie uses a Canon R10 EOS mirrorless digital camera and a Canon RF 100-400mm lens for her bird photography.

David Dalgety was third with Dragonflies/Kapokapowai, Pegasus wetlands/Te Kohanga. Photo: David Dalgety

She is also a member of the Waitaha Bird Lovers Group on Facebook.

‘‘Seeing other people's wonderful bird photos has really inspired me to practice and improve my own photos. It is also a great way to find out the best places in Canterbury to find specific birds.

‘‘Often I will bump into other photographers while out and about, who are also on the Waitaha page, so it has also been a good way to get to know other photographers,’’ she said.

‘‘I live in Parklands, where I am pretty spoilt with nature, being close to Bottle Lake Forest, Travis Wetlands, and the beach, but I still enjoy popping out to the Pegasus Wetlands, Kaiapoi Lakes, and Waikuku with my camera.’’