A few of these washed up on the sandy beach and seemed to survive through the low tide period. I put this one back into the water and saw it open up straight away.

Magpies are becoming more widespread through New Zealand. Wild ones tend to avoid people, but sometimes places like roadside rest areas will have a resident "tame" bird that is used to being fed by people.

The octopus was active in the water so I sat at the edge of the rock pool and jiggled my toe. A crab shot up onto the rock next to me then panicked and disappeared back into the cover of the weed. The octopus came to investigate the movement of my foot and tried to pull my shoe off. It's pull was quite strong - while taking the photo with one hand I was holding the heel of the shoe with the other to make sure I didn't lose it. When the octopus saw the crab move again, it let me go and went off after the crab. For a few minutes there was a chase around the rock pool - the octopus chasing the crab and me trying to get to where I could see the action. Then both disappeared out of sight.

Juvenile welcome swallows perch and wait while their parents do all the work.