Wairau Estuary

 I recently took one of our canoes down the Opawa River and around the Wairau estuary. I did fill up my memory card, but shooting with a tele lens from a canoe does come with challenges! Below are the few pictures that didn't land in the trash:

Pied Shag

The sheer amount of birds there suggest a very nutrient rich ecosystem.

Royal Spoonbill in flight

Spoonbills always fly with their head extended.

While the low tide was anything but ideal for the canoe, it gave me the opportunity to observe the countless crustaceans inhabiting the exposed mudflats. 

These tidal mudflats are the home of the Tunnelling Mud Crab. They are endemic to the many estuaries and lagoons of New Zealand.

They're known to be very active and dig complex tunnels in the mud. At low tide they come to the surface to clean their tunnels of debris and to scavenge for food. Their excellent eyesight protects them from predators, such as kingfishers.

Though generally quite small, larger individuals can reach up to 40mm across the carapace.

The bright patches of yellow and red appear during breeding season along with an illustrious plume of feathers on the back of their head which this one lacks.

The plume is here clearly visible

A native Kelp gull. New Zealand's largest gull with a length of 60cm, a wingspan of 135cm and a weight of 1000g

A Red-billed Gull. Endemic to New Zealand.