The lower reaches of the Leith Stream are confined between ugly concrete walls. Here, as it runs between the College of Education and the Polytechnic, the river (it's hardly a stream, despite its name), is partly tidal.
I was walking on the footpath beside it and as I crossed over the footbridge startled a shag, which flew off. But I didn't disturb the lone spoonbill, as it looked for tasty morsels in the green algae.
Royal spoonbill numbers have increased since 1940 when they first started breeding in NZ. There is a small local colony which breeds on the small offshore islet called Green Island. That's probably where this bird has come from.
