Sunday morning was glorious and I drove down to the Manawatu Estuary. (The tsunami warning from the previous day had been lifted.) There are birds that migrate here for our summer all the way from Alaska, and they are nearly ready to head north again. And some birds from further south in New Zealand over-winter here.
The ranges you can see in the background are the
Tararuas.
There is a pathway that skirts the edge of the estuary and passes the nearby houses. I loved this simple bach: an old-time bach of the kind typical in my childhood.
From near where the Manawatu River entered the sea, you could see the island of
Kapiti quite clearly today.
And like always here, there was plenty of birdlife to see.
I think this larger bird is an immature black-backed gull, (though it is hard for me to be sure it isn't a brown skua.)
The bird behind in this duo, with the slimmer, taller neck, is probably a young black-backed gull.
Such a precious time, on such a gorgeous day... just slowing noticing the world around...
Postscript: Last July I also visited this estuary on a glorious day. Two days later I broke my arm. Suffice it to say that last Tuesday I was a bit nervous leaving the house....but I am happy to report I am still 'intact'.
Around lunchtime when I went out walking, it was sunny with light cloud. There were weather warnings last night for the Tararua Ranges, and trampers were warned about the conditions and rising rivers etc. Certainly there was cloud over the ranges that I could see as I walked in town, but any rain had to be falling on the eastern side. 
By 3pm though, conditions had changed. Though it was still sunny, calm and pleasant in Palmerston North, a storm could be seen threatening over the Tararuas. This first photo shows the front spilling over the ranges near the river.
And this second photo, looking towards the ranges, shows how dark the clouds had become. Soon I spied some lightning in the dark clouds over the ranges.
But no rain arrived, though a gentle rainbow just gave a hint of its presence. There was that slightly weird before-the-storm feeling, but it seems that any storm has remained mainly in the east.
I had always wondered how people 'found' these things that usually seem so well hidden. But going on a trip with some experts you learn these things. There is a particular plant that powelliphanta seems to like especially well, and underneath it, you find the little creatures, well camouflaged in their favoured wet and muddy environment.
Here are some of the living snails that we retrieved. We found 32 live ones all up, and 40 empty shells.
It was a great group of people that I shared the morning with as well. A young grad who was there found this wonderful dragonfly. Roll on the next volunteer opportunity!
But come Friday morning there were these tempting glimpses of snow on the Tararuas....
It was well worth enduring the cold of Thursday to see these views on Friday morning.
Just as well the rain stopped, as I was due to drive north for the Sacred Heart reunion in New Plymouth, 125th Jubilee. (For my overseas readers, believe it or not, that is quite 'old' in New Zealand terms!!!)
And it was a great weekend. Lots of my former classmates were there, and the decibel rating was high throughout!!! We are already planning the next reunion...
