New Zealand Dotterel - in New Zealand

The north island has its share of wonderful species to match the south island.  I was particularly excited to be able to see the charismatic and endemic Northern NZ Dotterel on one of its breeding beaches; Opoutere on the Coromandel peninsula.

The beach supported some fab natural vegetation, including these cats-tail grasses.

This was a strange thing - perhaps an egg case - certainly not a tooth.  Any ideas?

The variable oystercatchers a prolific in NZ and can be seen on many beaches foraging in piles of kelp.

On the way to the beach we followed the path along the shoreline, but were surprised to find that it took us really near to nesting pairs of oystercatchers.  Not surprisingly they took umbrage, but we had gone to far to go back - the birds actually attacked us and made contact - we felt really bad about that.

Parent and chicks