Leaving the mud behind

A slow start to the day, after an earlyish phone call about my prescription sunglasses which I think I left on the plane. After lunch we went north to see S' mother. She is increasingly frail in body, just as determined in spirit (to stay in her own home), and managing pretty well all in all.

I spent a bit of time with the Lumix down on the mudflats. Started with a Tarapunga (red billed gull), followed by ducks (almost certainly hybrids of the introduced mallards and the native parera (grey duck), poaka (pied stilt), white faced herons, kawau paka (little pied shag) and kuaka (bar tailed godwits).

I chose the reflex shot of the kawau paka leaving as I tried to get a bit closer. It was the last of three to leave. As an extra I have posted a photo of one of the kuaka running back to the main bunch. I didn't follow, as I wanted them to be able to stay or go independent of me being there.