The tide was right for catching fish

My rostered day off today. A leisurely start, with a walk around Viaduct Harbour (which is the base for the Americas Cup regatta), where I took the second of today’s extra photos. A few tasks before leaving the city back to the beach house. Got away early enough that the traffic was tolerable. Tomorrow is Waitangi Day, marking the signing of Te Tiriti (The Treaty) in 1840. The day has been a public holiday for quite a long time, and during the last Parliament, it has been Mondayised when it falls on a weekend. 

Later this afternoon I went down to the mudflats at Southend, and there were about ten Kuaka. In moving to get better light for photos of them, I saw a Kawau Paka drying its wings, resulting in the first of the two extras.

I felt satisfied that I had a choice of two photos and headed away to round the point to Fidelis beach and the path up the cliff. And saw a mass of birds on rocks becoming increasingly uncovered as the tide receded. Thinking they had to be terns I carefully approached them and identified them as Tara (the white-fronted tern). It was a large gathering, surely more than 200. 

I had not noticed the evidence of the success of the hunter, as my focus was on the adult and juvenile together. I was delighted to see the small fish when looking later.