Flaxen morning

This morning's run took me down the hill to Snells Beach proper, and along Erceg's Way to the northern end. On the way along I observed ducks coming in to land in the shallows, and at one point the gulls were waking up. Their first action was to squawk loudly about nothing (or so it seemed) and then to all get into the shallow water. Mostly standing. They then abruptly took flight again, and began wheeling and shrieking above me as I passed. At least they didn't strafe me as is their wont on occasions.

Just before I reached where I took this picture, I saw a Paradise Shelduck pair in a grassed area adjacent to some rather inappropriate newish housing. Inappropriate, as it is a terraced development with minimal separate land per dwelling, and the exterior cladding is with Otago schist stone. Daughter J (the architect) has firmly inculcated in me a desire that housing should reflect its locality in both design and the use of material as much as is possible.

A cautious approach resulted in the duck squawking even louder than the gulls, and the pair moving further and further away. No good pictures came of that. A second pair were seen up the hill away from the beach, and they behaved identically. Later today, I saw a third pair (possibly) on the football field. I never used to see birds. Blipfoto changes one.

The sun was about to rise above the horizon when I took this photo. Unfortunately lots of cloud meant that there is the barest tinge of colour to be seen, and although that increased I preferred the totality of this picture. Especially pleasing is the effect I gained by getting low and behind the drying flower stalks of the New Zealand flax, which is actually more a lily, I understand.

Later this morning, when S and daughter J had returned to Auckland to join with daughter C in visiting the Degas to Dali exhibition at the Art Gallery, I went the short distance to Matakana, to a specialty pen and paper shop. this past week Mr H discovered the joy of writing with ink using a gull feather which the talented S had turned into a functioning quill. As it was not lasting being used by an 8 year old, I went to find a pen to replace it. As it happened the only dipping pen I found was one with a feather. I am hopeful that he will be delighted with it, given its quill-like appearance.

ADDITIONAL:
Because S questioned my attribution of lily like status to the flax, I looked it up and add here what I found.
New Zealand flax is not a true flax like linen flax (Linum usitatissimum), but related to the day lily. It belongs to the Hemerocallidaceae family and the Phormium genus. It grows naturally only in New Zealand and Norfolk Island - no other country has produced a plant quite like it. There are two confirmed species in New Zealand: Phormium tenax and Phormium cookianum.