Manawatu Estuary - spoonbill, great egret, cattle egret

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Brent Stephenson
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Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 1:51 am
Location: Havelock North, New Zealand
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Manawatu Estuary - spoonbill, great egret, cattle egret

Postby Brent Stephenson » Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:42 am

Spent a few hours at the Manawatu Estuary yesterday - Sun 9 Aug (with Duncan Watson and Alex Scott at various points in the day). The wader flock was on the end of the spit at high tide - around midday with around 12 wrybill and 25-30 godwit. They were a little skittery - more than normal during the summer months.

At least 11 spoonbill and 3 cattle egret were roosting out on trees stumps in the middle of the river, with the spoonbills dispersing and feeding in the estuary as the tide went out.

The great egret (whote heron) that has been present for a few weeks now and is VERY confiding was there again and allowed me to get some pretty good shots.

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Got some nice shots of wrybill feeding as well as spur-winged plover and white-faced heron. Photos to appear on my blog in the next day or so http://www.eco-vista.com/brentsblog.htm

Cheers,
Brent Stephenson
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ - Great birds, real birders
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