The local free paper has announced that the Godwits have returned having been spotted in Bream Bay. They are quite amazing, unlike seabirds, they cannot rest on water or feed at sea, so this 11,000-kilometre journey is the longest non-stop flight done by any bird. The map shows the migration route taken to and from New Zealand by the godwits. They leave Alaska in the northern autumn, and originally it was assumed they followed a coastal route southwards that would allow them to feed and rest along the way, but recently it has been discovered that most of them take the direct route south across the central Pacific to New Zealand. As you can see from the map they return to Alaska by a different route that includes rest and feed stops to ensure they are in best condition for the breeding season.
We have not so far seen any but there are now a couple of gannets around although so far they have not been giving their fantastic aerobatic displays.