Easy to spot from a distance scuttling across the sand, New Zealand Dotterel always prove difficult to get close enough to get a decent photo. However because their nests are pretty easy to find (and they are reluctant to stray far) and they don’t really seem to like flying, it’s possible to get close enough for a photo with a little persistence.
Sadly the traits that make it possible to get a photo also make it easy for pests and pets to chase and kill them. These Dotterel photos were taken at Pakiri after sitting in the sand for a couple of hours on a cold winters day, eventually they came too close for my lens to focus with them reacting to every click on my shutter.
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