Wednesday 16 January 2013

Wild Bird Wednesday 27 - White Faced Heron.


I always like watching herons - although I have not managed to get any of those "flipping the fish in the air with a casual wave of the beak" kind of shots yet.  (You know who you are, and you know you make me green with envy!)

So, here is a White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) doing absolutely nothing at all! These birds are about 65 - 70 cm tall and a pretty common in my neck of the woods.  I think they may be the default heron on most of my trips out with camera and binoculars. 


I love the sentinel stillness of these birds - the way they watch, the way they wait.  I think they would make good photographers.


This is a different bird - but still waiting none the less.

Now its your turn to get involved with WBW.

Visit, invite and comment - that all you have to do!




50 comments:

  1. yup, i know exactly who you mean. :)

    these white-faced are beautiful. they are very exotic to me. :)

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  2. Nice pictures you show a beautiful heron.
    Hanne Bente

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  3. Wonderful shots of the Heron.

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  4. I think herons are so elegant. Saw one by the side of the Thames at London bridge with an eel in its beak. No photo of course!

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  5. So weird to see a white faced heron. I don't think we have them here. Nice catch!

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  6. Great series!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  7. Good Description ...
    Beautiful.
    Greetings Eko
    Finland / Lapland / Kuusamo
    http://eskoalamaunu.blogspot.fi/

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  8. Nice photos of a bird that may be common for you but looks exotic to me. Our Great Blue Heron and Green Heron are notoriously still hunters, while others such as the Tricolored Heron are very active in pursuit of prey.

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  9. I'm a great fan of watching herons as well.

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  10. 'Sentinel stillness' - a perfect description Stewart!
    Lovely shots even if they aren't flippin fish!
    Yeah, that other guy makes us all envious but what can we do. :)

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  11. I know just who your are talking to when you say he makes you Green with envy ... I couldn't agree with you more. I always convince myself that it is because he has wonderful equipment, but the truth is ... he is just good. That said, so are you and in time you will get your tossed fish with an eagerly awaiting Heron and yours will have a white face, Yeah! Great pictures Stewart. We don't have White Faced Herons in our area so this is a treat. We are freezing here and I am reading about your fires ... hope they are able to get them under control without huge losses in the wildlife. Have a wonderful week ...

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  12. Lovely shots of the heron! Don't think we have this one here in Sweden.
    Tonight it is -7 C degrees outside and more snow we've got.
    Greetings Pia

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  13. I've never seen this species of heron before. It's obvious where it gets its name, though! Beautiful bird! It sounds like the equivalent of our Great Blue Heron which is very common here.

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  14. Most herons sure do bear a strong family resemblance with each other. They are amazingly patient, aren't they?

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  15. I, too, love herons and have posted about one on my blog tomorrow (along with a few other birds seen this past week) Thanks for sharing. Have a great day. Jo (Tanzania)

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  16. Great heron-photos!
    Great photowork!

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  17. It's face looks much more handsome than the Grey Heron. From Findlay

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  18. It does have a pretty face. I think you're right about them making good photographers.

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  19. That heron is rather nice Stewart. It's surprising what a difference to an overall appearance a white face can make! Somehow it looks far more attractive, and less primitive, than our Grey Heron.

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  20. Your White-faced herons resemble our Tricolored herons here in south Florida.. they silently stand and watch also.

    Beautiful shots, Stewart.
    Thanks for hosting WBW.

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  21. Great photos of the White-faced Herons. Up here they are not easy to get close to.

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  22. Hallo Stewart!Magnificent shots!!I like herons birds!They are so elegant!My daughter saw your photos, and told me that she saw many of them in Byron Bay!Wishing you a lovely day!!
    Dimi..

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  23. lol yes I know what you mean about the fishing heron shots!

    white-faced herons do much the same waiting around up this way and are the most common urban one although we do see night herons at the billabong and I saw a couple of pacific herons near Pooncarie NSW a couple of weeks ago. I took a funny photo this week of a heron front on - their heads look so small from the front!

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  24. I know our heron-fish-catcher-great-shots guru too. How to match him is the big challenge :)! You did get a lovely shot too Stewart. Leaving my link since I've been unable to link up to WBW again this morning.

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  25. They are the epitome of patience! And therefore they do spend a lot of time doing what looks like nothing. And I am not patient enough for them to catch what they're waiting for. (The once in my lifetime when I did get one with a fish, he already had it in his beak when I first spotted it.)

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  26. It is a pretty bird. They must have a lot of patience. Great shots of your White-faced heron. Thanks for hosting WBW, have a happy week ahead.

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  27. A Beautiful face indeed!! I see Herons occasionally but it's always a Thrill!!

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  28. Your White Faced Heron is quite similar to our Great Blue Heron except for the white face.

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  29. I have never seen a white faced heron only blue. Great shots!

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  30. I've seen all sorts of herons, but not this variety. Gosh, they're very beautiful. You photographed them well.

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  31. Once again, a common bird to you is a new one for me. Please keep posting these beautiful birds. Love herons!

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  32. Oh, my. I love the photo of the heron on the fence against teh sky. This is a bird that I have never seen before.

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  33. Hi Stewart,

    Wonderful photo of that Heron! They are gorgeous birds and my brother has blue ones which come to visit the water behind his home. Thank you for hosting.

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  34. ;') so did you lend one your camera...they are patient, just like us and they will also eventually get their catch. Nice series Stewart!

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  35. I love herons, although I don't think I've ever seen a white faced heron. We have great blue herons around here that I'm always excited to see.

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  36. Gorgeous shots!

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  37. Yep!! I know exactly who you mean!! Envious but in awe at the same time!!
    I love White-faced Herons. They are so elegant.

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  38. One beautiful bird indeed, can sure strike a pose too.

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  39. Beautiful shots. I have only seen the The Great Blue Heron out this way although there are others I have not seen. I did watch a heron flipping the fish but was so fascinated I didn't get a pic and haven't seen it since. Just the quiet stander. MB

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  40. A beautiful bird, thanks for sharing and hosting.

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  41. Both shots are fabulous!

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  42. Fabulous shots! Both of the captures are wonderful. Lovely birds, have a nice day Stewart :)

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  43. That first photo of the heron is quite impressive! A very wary sentinel indeed!

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  44. Beautiful - I have seen those only in zoo. :-)

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  45. .•°♡♡⊱彡
    Super imagens. Gostei das cores, da luminosidade e da criatividade das poses.
    BOM FIM DE SEMANA!
    Beijinhos do Brasil.!
    º°✿✿
    °Âº✿
    º° ✿ ✿彡

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  46. Stewart, I think herons and egrets are my favorite subjects. I love their patience and the varied hunting techniques of each.
    Great pictures!

    (Belated Happy New Year! Been out of commission since Christmas so haven't posted lately.)

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  47. I don´t think I have seen this heron before. Looks nice with that face. :)

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