Although I arrived later than planned I was still rewarded by many godwit,wrybill and pied oystercatchers on the little island just below the reserve. There were also quite a few spoonbills too. It was quite fascinating to watch Caspian terns fishing and one bird in particular took a good 20 minutes to actually swallow a huge fish it had caught. Since the decommissioning of the freshwater filtration ponds at Mangere the birds have gradually returned to this area of estuary. The godwit are preparing for their Autumn migration to Alaska and are feeding up in preparation for an incredibly long journey.
