New Zealand Dotterel

Also known as Tuturiwhatu (the Maori name).

Described as Large squat tame dotterel with large head and robust bill. Looking at the resourceful S' bird identification book, this less common form of dotterel is showing breeding plumage. The extent of reddish breast feathers suggests that it is a male; there were also two white breasted dotterels associating with this chappie, and they are likely to be non breeding females. The Northern New Zealand Dotterel (Charadrius aquilonius) is found in the northern part of the North Island, on beaches, at river mouths and in estuaries. This fellow looks very like the picture in the book, of the Southern subspecies Charadrius obscurus. It shouldn't be this far
north, however.

To get this photo, I walked out onto the mudflats, through pools of water, over banks of sea weed like this fellow is on. I had the Pentax with the long lens, and was
using my eyes to focus, knowing that autofocus would be messy. I am very pleased with the picture I have got. I have enlarged it a little by cropping out the large extent of the weed bank.

Earlier I had spent almost two hours raking builders rubble from where we will put a garden by the drive.

Do take a look at it large