Yesterday morning began before I was quite ready for it.
Our neighbours are having some landscaping done, and the contractors hired a small hydraulic digger to get into the tight spaces where the changes were to happen. These things are quieter than they used to be, but even so the hissing and clanking that goes with earth moving is not compatible with peaceful snoozing. On the other hand I was late getting up anyway, so it did me a service.
Looking down from my bedroom window
I have a long repressed ambition to play with one of these things. The man driving it had it pirouetting and was getting it to do all sorts of clever tricks. The motion blur in the image was deliberate.
My first call of the day was to Te Omanga hospice where I seem to have become the default photographer and visual recorder of history. I needed to catch the progress on the construction of a new office for the therapists. Throughout all its many phases and varied history the grounds have always had wonderful gardens, impressive trees and plentiful birdlife. Tui are particularly numerous in the Australian flowering gum trees there.
This one was warbling merrily
Then it was out to Pauatahanui in the afternoon where there was relatively little happening, but I did see a flock of Royal Spoonbills huddled on the beach soaking up whatever warmth there was to be had from the sun.
I was able to get quite close
Across the road in a farm paddock, there was a flock of pied oystercatchers who seemed to have lost their way … at least I doubt that there were any oysters where they were looking.
Where did all the oysters go?
That’s it for the day.
