Good place to perch

Woke early enough to see the sunrise; daughter J posted a photo of it (from the beach house) on facebook early today. I had a run along the foreshore of Snells Beach, where the tide was full.

The birds were awake, singing and flying about. Tui, blackbirds, thrushes, mynas. Gulls of course. Whitefaced heron, kotare (kingfisher), poaka (pied stilt). Sitting in a tree was an Eastern Rosella (an immigrant from across the Tasman), Too many branches in the way. When I got back to the beach house, I saw three or four goldfinches enjoying the overgrown streetside of the property. 

This solitary gull kept an eye on me  while I got my photo.