Shag

 

I couldn't believe it when I spotted this large New Zealand Pied Shag just sitting nonchalantly on an old tree stump in the middle of a swamp next to a car park. B and I had just completed a lovely little bush walk near Punakaiki named the "Truman Track" and when we got back to our car, he/she was right there. 

They are also called a pied cormorant, kawau, yellow faced cormorant and Karuhiruhi. They mainly inhabit coastal areas, harbours and estuaries. The adults have yellow around the eye so this one could be more of a teenager maybe. 

Linking up with Tuesday Treasures, Happy Tuesdays and Wordless Wednesday.