Caspian tern and friends

A young Caspian tern waiting with the pied oystercatchers for the parent to return.

Lovely morning with flying having a look around the estuary and at Travis Wetland. We were very lucky that the tide was a king tide, so was full enough to have the birds gathered to rest. We saw quite a few different birds, terns, oystercatchers, godwits, plovers, a shag, a white faced heron, swallows and three kinds of gulls.

At Travis we saw a little black shag, Less common than little shags, especially in the South Island, they may not been in New Zealand as long as other shags, and are still naturally uncommon. Have attached one as an extra. Lovely green eye!