About to touchdown

Low tide was at 13:00 today. Went down the steps to the Southend, 'welcomed' by the loud honking of Kuihi (Canada geese). I was surprised to see that they were well away from the shore. Realised, when a young dog bounded up towards me, that the Kuihi were honking as a result of the dog's presence. Later, as I got further out on the mudflats the sentries (Kuihi which stand erect and warn of unwanted approaches) honked their warnings, and the vast majority retreated out onto deeper water.

First photos in 2024 of the black morph of the oyster catcher (Torea pango) and also the Taranui (Caspian tern). The name in Te Reo (Taranui) combines the name given by Maori to terns (Tara) with nui which means big. Taranui is the biggest tern in New Zealand. I've chosen a telephoto image of the Taranui about to touchdown on the mudflats, having left because I was too close.