Banded Dotterel

Body clocks are fascinating. No need to be up as early as I woke this morning, and nothing external woke me. Nevertheless, I woke the same one to two minutes before when the alarm is set for weekdays (and it was still in the apartment). Awake at that time, I don't go back to sleep, so I decided I would have a morning run, and headed out to run the full length of Snells Beach as the sun rose to the east.

At the southern end of the beach I was struck by the absence of any birds other than the common duck. Not even gulls were about. Obligatory sunrise shots, across the bay, as I continued on my way. Almost to the northern end I saw a large group of birds in the shallows. I carefully got as close as I could. There were more than 50 of these birds which looked too chunky for stilts, and too tall for oystercatchers. I'm far from expert with birds, but they seemed different, and I took a number of pictures.

I have put the best I got into my blipfolio. Later this morning I looked at the photos I had, and compared with the different waders listed and pictured in "The Hand Guide to the Birds of New Zealand". Delighted to discover that what I had seen and photographed was almost certainly a group of Bar-Tailed Godwits, kuaka being the Maori name. These migrants from the Arctic (probably Alaska) were first seen this year in late September. Although often seen a bit further south (at Miranda), they are uncommon here in Kawau Bay.

For my blip today, I chose this little interloper. Interloper, because it was with, or nearby, the kuaka. When I got too close for their comfort and they scarpered, this little Tuturiwhatu remained. It did run a few steps each pace closer I got, but only rarely went further away.

I was able to get as close as about 5 or 6 metres, and this relatively crisply focussed shot with the compact camera (therefore autofocus) neatly shows that it is the banded dotterel, as distinct from the New Zealand Dotterel I blipped in September. It is described as being "tame .. with large head and robust bill". The same Maori name is given to both dotterels.

It is particularly good seen large

I particularly like the patterns in the sand, and the way the low sunlight is shining off the ridges, and off the bird's head and back.