The work camera was grabbed this morning when a very rare Kotuku, White Heron, was seen in a car park in Porirua.
This website: gives you a lot more detail about this very special visitor.
Perhaps it was en route to Okarito, the only place in New Zealand where these birds breed. The breeding season begins in August.
Maori (New Zealand’s indigenous people) have this saying:
He Kotuku rerenga tahi.
A Kotuku’s flight is seen but once.
And this paragraph off the above website describes beautifully how exceptional this lovely, lovely bird is to us.
“In Maori oratory, the most telling compliment is to liken someone to Kotuku. It symbolizes everything rare and beautiful. It was said that Kotuku is an inhabitant of the nether world, the spirit land of Reinga, and that an old funeral chant ends with these words to the departed: “Ko to kotuku to tapui, e Tama e – Kotuku is now thy sole companion, O my son!”
So seldom does Kotuku appear in any locality that “rare as the Kotuku” has passed into a proverb among Maori.”
And this sunset completed a lovely day, which had offered a significant event.
ordinarygoodness 
It is so special when a bird arrives where it is not expected 🙂
You are so right about that Judy. I really enjoyed the news of this visitor. Perhaps I will spy him for myself.
What a beautiful bird, and I love the accompanying story.
The Kotuku is a very special bird. I am yet to see one, but when this photo was sent to me I had to share it. Its breeding area at Okarito on the west coast of the South Island is a rare and beautiful place too. We needed Colin and his camera gear to capture this beauty up close yesterday.
What a surprise to see the kotuku. A little bunch of them came to Te Henga once, but when I inquired, it turned out that they were egrets. So I haven’t seen a kotuku yet.
The Kotuku was a very special sight and a welcome visitor. I just hope I get to see one. I think White herons (Kotuku) are of the egret family so perhaps you did see Kotuku? They live on the coast and return to Okarito to breed in August. I wondered whether the visitor to Porirua this past week so resting before heading south.
Yes, they are the same family, but egrets are smaller.
Thanks for this Juliet. I did not know about the smaller egrets. That is another type of bird for me to look out for.