Free as a bird

Today S & I met serpentine from Bristol, who has been travelling since October, and is about to leave New Zealand in a couple of days. We had a really enjoyable day beginning with a leisurely lunch at a West Auckland vineyard getting to know each other.

We then drove out to Muriwai Beach where there is a gannet colony, and she and I used our cameras trying for a photo to show the day. Many are the shots which I will be deleting from SD card and iPhoto Library. I managed to get the gannet sharp and in the right place in the photo, and wheeling the right way so as to display clearly the tops of the wings, and still have the yellow head in view.

Takapu is the Maori name for the Australasian Gannet. I did get a distant and not very well focussed photo of one off Algies Bay in late January, so this one does not increase my score of different bird species photographed in 2014; that remains at 35.

The rock from which the anglers are attempting to catch some fish is well below the gannet colony higher up the cliffs; it will be covered by water at high tide. This one is safer than some other favourite fishing rocks, as there is a very straight forward return to the beach.

I have cropped out water at the top and on both sides of this photo. Otherwise left as it is. Worth a look in Large

This morning I had a gentle run along Erceg's Way at Snell's Beach, and was able to record the 13th Sunday Sunrise for this year. It is in my blipfolio for anyone who wants to see it.

It was good to talk in the real with another blipper (the second I have met other than my son and daughter). Serpentine is a lovely and interesting person, and the day was over so very quickly. This is a great site for making contact with people one would not otherwise meet, either virtually or actually.