Spotted shags

Known as cormorants n the northern hemisphere they are known as shags in NZ.

These yellow footed, sometimes comical looking birds congregate in huge numbers on the guano encrusted cliffs of the headland in the mornings. They are waiting for the sun to rise higher in the sky. As the light penetrates the water depths they will dive, up to 30 meters, searching for fish along the bottom.

An hour or so following sunrise they sweep across the water in long chevrons leaving the rocks, commuting out for a days hunt on the water.