Ghostbusting the “Extinct” New Zealand Storm Petrel

It was a dark and stormy night on Little Barrier Island, New Zealand, when I fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming a ghostbuster.

Cliffhanger! Risking Life and Limb for Fluffy Seabirds

Another music video/science documentary mashup, this time involving falling off a cliff...

In which I plummet down a 70-meter seacliff to find nesting birds—fairy prions!—and their impossibly fluffy chicks. My latest Nat Geo story (link in bio) features a music video + science documentary with music from "Birds Say" by @darlingside.

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Jan 8, 2018 at 5:43pm PST

Auld Lang Seal

In lieu of some sort of profound end-of-year summary for 2017...please accept this trio of New Zealand fur seals

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Dec 30, 2017 at 1:18am PST

Return of the Penguins?

The fourth and final installment of Voyage of the Yellow-eyed Penguin.

Photo by John Ayers

Yellow-eyed penguins on a subantarctic island! One of the most endangered penguin species in the world.

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Dec 14, 2017 at 9:30pm PST

Kayaking 'round NZ

Merry Christmas from Moana Rua

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Dec 23, 2017 at 4:03pm PST

A pre-Christmas alpine kayak (above) and two kayaks around two Goat Islands, 1500km apart (below).

Knew I lugged this little yellow boat all the way from Maine for a reason... (photos: @edinzphoto)

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Oct 25, 2017 at 12:49pm PDT

It seems I can't go kayaking in New Zealand without kayaking around Goat Island. This particular Goat Island is in Port Chalmers, and like the last Goat Island I kayaked around, it has no goats. It does have black-backed gulls and white-fronted terns nesting on it.

A post shared by Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) on Dec 13, 2017 at 12:44am PST