Godwits and tuis

Great way to start the day - sun beaming into van from across the Bay, not a cloud in the sky, peaceful and calm.  The only thing to do was to join with the tranquility and stay a while longer......quite a while longer.  Loved it.  I eventually hit the road close to midday and ambled towards Golden Bay, stopping in Motueka for a wee look-see.  Was tempted by a couple of things but sensible-me talked frivolous me out of them.  I did however stop at my 'usual' icecream shop for a little indulgence.  Whilst I was eating the icecream (which was melting quickly with the wonderful heat we were having) I found myhself trying to remember where J & J's house was.  I couldn't, so resorted to google to help me and found it was almost literally just around the corner.  I decided on a whim  to drive up there just to refresh my memory and so I would know where to go when/if I dropped in on the way home (even though I knew, from earlier texts, that J was up north.)  Imagine both of our surprises when J turned up just as I was sitting outside their house in my van contemplating the drive over to Golden Bay and the possibility of exploring one or two other spots along the way.  It turns out she had been at the airport heading home when we exchanged texts this morning.  We had a quick chat but I didn't stay long.  Now I know where to find them, I do hope we'll get to have a 'real' catchup before they leave to embark on their next chapter in the North Island.

Anyway, the drive over to Golden Bay was, as always, utterly pleasant with the ususal washing-over of calm and gratitude at the top of the hill when Golden Bay first comes into view.  A quick stop in Takaka for some supplies and, just as I was about to get out of the van, I heard a voice say my name.....  I looked around to see a young woman from school getting out of a vehicle parked nearby.  I call it the Nelson effect - you can't go anywhere locally without bumping in to someone you know!  

On now to my go-to spot north of Pakawau where this crew have been idling time away on the water's edge.  The godwits are incredible birds and each year, they return to (amongst other places) Golden Bay after a non-stop flight flight across the Pacific Ocean, from Alaska that takes about 7–9 days.  They arrive from September to mid-October so it's quite possible these chaps have been enjoying the Golden Bay beaches for a few weeks.  They certainly don't look as though they've just flown 11600kms!  I'm not sure what this crew are thinking about the wannabe-godwit in the middle.

Speaking of birds, whilst I'm here I'm hoping to 'shoot' some tuis if all goes to plan.  I'm not so sure it will though as my first reccy of the area this evening showed no evidence of any birds at all.  Unaccustomed as I am to being early for much, I may be just that where the tuis are concerned!  The last few times I've come over to shoot them I've come later in October/November and missed the bulk of the activity.  I'm onto them this year I hope, even if it means several return trips.  I can handle that :)

Early-ish night tonight and possibly an early start tomorrow.

G'night