Rather coy

End of another week. Only two more to go and then I head back to Auckland. I've had some very good experiences here, and I have enjoyed working with many of the nurses. Still in the process of working out exactly what comes next.

After work today I took a walk along the Coastal Walkway. The wind was rather chill, and the cloud filled sky was grey. Bird life was less than on warmer sunnier days; perhaps that was due to it being an hour closer to dark now that daylight saving has ended.

I saw this Matuku moana (Reef Heron) fly by and land close to the walkway. I managed to get a half dozen shots, this being the best before it appeared to respond to me moving around up on the path, by flying off. 

It landed on a nearby groyne, which caused the half dozen gulls already there to leave hurriedly. I walked along and as I neared, it flew off again. I got a few shots of it in flight, which please me, but lack enough sharpness. It came down a third time, and as I neared it and lifted the camera, it flew away yet again, this time headed well away.

Matuku moana is a solitary, stout egret known overseas as the Pacific reef heron, being found in southern Asia, Japan, Polynesia and Australia. It is regarded as "threatened" in NZ. It is found on rocky coasts of both main islands. Matuku is a generic Maori term for herons, and moana means of the sea.