A group of 40 people joined Suzi Phillips for a walk on Manukapua (Big Sand Island) in early October.  Most were Forest and Bird members from Auckland region branches including North Shore, Mid-North, Auckland Central and Kaipara members.

An early morning start from the Okahukura DOC reserve entry was necessary to get across the hard sand causeway to the island before the high tide.  It was a warm sunny day with a strong souwester blowing.  Manukapua is a long low sand island on the tip of the Okahukura Peninsula (east coast of the Kaipara), that has rolling stand dunes colonised by pingao and other dune grasses, and areas of scrub and manuka.  

Just across the causeway on a coastal pan of sarcocornia was a small group of waders including Bar-tailed Godwits, Turnstones, and Pacific Golden Plover.  Binoculars and telescopes were taken out for a closer look at these migratory waders, recently returned from their breeding grounds in Alaska and Siberia.

The group walked across the island to the open sea with some people hearing the Fernbird calls from the low wetland vegetation in the damp areas in the middle.