Shagtastic

Shags again. Oamaru is chock-full of 'em. This is the Spotted Shag colony out on the rundown dock in the harbor that I mentioned in the Little Shag blip a few days ago. There are hundreds of them; it's amazing to see so many in one place, and so close. The breakwater (behind this dock, where the tower sits) is host to a separate colony of Stewart Island Shags. It's a bit of a fortress for them--the breakwater isn't very safe to walk out onto--so I can't get nearly as close to them.

Drove down the coast road to Kakanui, and then down towards the Waianakarua River mouth. Pretty quiet out there, just the usual suspects, though I did see my first Australasian Shovelers, a hefty (but distant) pile of Grey Teal, and one lone Spoonbill flying overhead.