Water through the Estuary

My Scholarship entry - Water through the Estuary

NEW ZEALAND | Friday, 28 June 2013 | Views [3404] | View Larger Image

A Red-Billed Seagull (Chroicocephalus scopulinus), native to New Zealand, rests on a post as it looks over the tidal flats of the Estuary. More than 60 species of birds breed at the Waikanae Estuary. They depend upon the constant movement of the river and the tide which opens up twice a day to reveal a feast of worms, shellfish and crabs.

Ebbs & Flows at the Estuary.
Tidal posts mark the rise and fall of the Tasman Sea as it mingles with the fresh water of the Waikanae River ritualistically meeting twice daily with the tides. This mixing of the waters and the ever shifting river mouth create an environment of rich plant and animal communities.

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Where the River Meets the Sea & Beyond, View from the Estuary composing North & South Islands of New Zealand in One.This nationally-significant reserve protects a natural mosaic of freshwater lakelets, saltwater lagoons and marshes, tidal sand flats and sandy beach at the mouth of the Waikanae River.
Foreground – Waikanae River Mouth opens to Waikanae Beach, North Island.
Middle Ground (far right) - Tahoramaurea Island (Browns Island), a small offshore Island at the Southern tip of offshore Native Bird Sanctuary, Kapiti Island, North Island.
Background – Marlborough Sounds, the north-easternmost point of the South Island. New Zealand.

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Water through the Estuary

My Scholarship entry - Water through the Estuary

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