The Godwits return to the Upper North

The first Godwit has arrived onto the upper North Island, a sign that the seasons are changing. Using her naturally gifted weather sense, she took off from New Guinea last Friday and used favourable winds over the Coral Sea and Tasman 3 to 5km above the surface, to arrive at South Manukau harbour before the weather closed in yesterday. A long distance champion of the sky.

Map courtesy of Adrian Riegen of Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre