Another sunrise

This one taken from Our Beach. I woke well before sunrise, and decided to stay in bed a little longer. When I re-woke, it was about the expected time of the sunrise; for Auckland. Although we are only an hour north (by road), it does seem that sunrise is significantly later than Auckland.

And so it proved this morning. I left for a jog, with the idea that I might get some interesting early morning bird shots as the tide was a couple of hours short of full. As I got near to the bottom of the path down the cliff through rather open native bush, I became aware that the sun was still just emerging above Kawau Island and the lowest cloud bank.

I carefully increased my pace of descent and was able to get this picture; the middle of three shots. I really like the drama from the dark clouds and the wind tossed sea, with a slight tinge of colour from the rising sun.

The wind across the bay was whipping up reasonably sizeable waves which crashed into the rocks at the end of the point with great spray upwards. The oystercatchers on those same rocks caught the sun, when they took flight away from me.

Further around and into what I am now calling Southend (Snells Beach), without any authority to do so, I saw some shags on a bunch of rocks. More than one. More than two. And then more arrived. I guessed that at least the majority would be little black shags (Kawau Tui), and when I got close enough to see, I found that I was right.

A pleasant and satisfying early morning jog and walk on the beach, then a run to the shop for the morning newspaper and back to the house. More reading before a bit of reassurance and advice to mother-in-law, then back home to Auckland where I have completed the agenda papers. YAY!

After posting this I'm off to see Jesafly's new flat.