Best birthday, hands down

Photo taken by Edin from the Mokohinau Islands Lighthouse, just above the field station on the top of this very hilly island.

Out to the Mokes

Landing on Burgess Island

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Sep 13, 2017 at 2:13pm PDT

First expedition in New Zealand, out to the beautiful Mokohinau Islands.

First sketch of NZ

Testing out new sketching gear, at the mudflats in the Tamaki River

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Sep 11, 2017 at 2:49pm PDT

I rigged up a Rite-in-the-Rain sketchbook for this trip. I think it will come in handy.

Seabird landing

It's official: my seabird sketching project has begun (this press release materialized mere hours after I touched down at Auckland International Airport).

I'm doing a Fulbright-Nat Geo Storytelling Fellowship in New Zealand. See more stories from the seabird capital of the world...

Old albatross

Today I start my desultory multiday trip from Maine to New Zealand, where I intend to sketch a lot of seabirds. My overseas flight isn't until this weekend, so in the meantime here's an albatross sketch from the archives!

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Sep 5, 2017 at 5:03am PDT

Actually this was a drawing (based on photographic references) of THE oldest known living bird, Wisdom the Laysan Albatross, who continues to lay eggs and raise chicks at age 66-plus.