On January 9th I was lucky enough to photograph a Kōtuku (White heron) down at the Waimanu Lagoon in Waikanae. There are only 150-200 in all of New Zealand, so it is quite rare to see them outside their nesting ground in Waitangiroto Nature Reserve.

#Kōtuku #kotuku #whiteheron #bird #birds #heron #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #newzealand #waikanae

_The Evening Post_, 7 Apr 1923:
LOCAL AND GENERAL
The rarest of New Zealand birds, the white crane, or heron (kotuku), made its appearance this week on an island in the Waihou River, near Wharepoa, states a Press Association message from Thames.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19230407.2.20
#OnThisDay #OTD #NewZealand #PapersPast #Birds #Kotuku #Herons