Bird Life
Royal Spoonbill
Adrienne and I popped up to Foxton Beach to the Manawatu River Estuary Bird Sanctuary in mid July to watch the waterfowl. About a dozen Royal Spoonbills were working the watery mudflats with great efficiency. It was interesting to watch them move their heads from side to side seiving through for small fish, and water insects. Every now and then they lift their heads and take a long swallow. Pied stilts were also working the same areas, as well as several flights of Grey Teal which were wheeling about waiting for the tide to come in.
There is a flock of Royal Spoonbills resident in the lagoon on Kapiti Island, a few miles from Pateke Lagoons. They are regular visitors in early summer for the tadpole season. This summer 2008 we have up to eighteen of them feeding in the wetland.
