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.

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50 comments:

  1. TexWisGirl16 January 2013 at 02:01

    yup, i know exactly who you mean. :)

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

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  2. Vores have16 January 2013 at 02:09

    Nice pictures you show a beautiful heron.
    Hanne Bente

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  3. Rajesh16 January 2013 at 02:21

    Wonderful shots of the Heron.

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  4. Fun6016 January 2013 at 02:25

    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. Anonymous16 January 2013 at 02:45

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

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  6. Unknown16 January 2013 at 02:47

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

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  7. Eko16 January 2013 at 03:13

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

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  8. Kenneth Cole Schneider16 January 2013 at 03:33

    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. Linda16 January 2013 at 03:41

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

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  10. Carletta16 January 2013 at 03:41

    '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. Andrea @ From The Sol16 January 2013 at 03:46

    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. i stora drag16 January 2013 at 04:14

    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. Brian King16 January 2013 at 04:31

    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. EG CameraGirl16 January 2013 at 04:45

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

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  15. Jo16 January 2013 at 04:52

    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. HansHB16 January 2013 at 04:55

    Great heron-photos!
    Great photowork!

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  17. Findlay Wilde16 January 2013 at 05:35

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

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  18. Anonymous16 January 2013 at 06:10

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

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  19. Tina´s PicStory16 January 2013 at 06:12

    great shots! :)

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  20. Richard Pegler16 January 2013 at 06:26

    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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  21. Anonymous16 January 2013 at 06:31

    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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  22. mick16 January 2013 at 06:58

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

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  23. DIMI16 January 2013 at 07:00

    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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  24. Amanda16 January 2013 at 07:00

    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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  25. Carole M.16 January 2013 at 07:01

    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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  26. Sallie (FullTime-Life)16 January 2013 at 08:55

    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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  27. eileeninmd16 January 2013 at 08:57

    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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  28. Kerri Farley16 January 2013 at 10:02

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

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  29. Martha Z16 January 2013 at 11:24

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

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  30. Saun16 January 2013 at 11:40

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

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  31. Gail Dixon16 January 2013 at 11:57

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

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  32. Jen16 January 2013 at 12:28

    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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  33. Kateri16 January 2013 at 13:57

    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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  34. Donna Heber16 January 2013 at 20:12

    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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  35. Mary Howell Cromer16 January 2013 at 23:24

    ;') 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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  36. ~~~jennifer~~~17 January 2013 at 02:33

    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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  37. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 02:36

    Gorgeous shots!

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  38. Liz17 January 2013 at 02:48

    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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  39. Pat Hatt17 January 2013 at 02:55

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

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  40. Optimistic Existentialist17 January 2013 at 04:11

    Beautiful heron. I love herons.

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  41. Small City Scenes17 January 2013 at 04:20

    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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  42. Gillian Olson17 January 2013 at 04:46

    A beautiful bird, thanks for sharing and hosting.

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  43. Coloring Outside the Lines17 January 2013 at 23:43

    Nice shots- beautiful bird!

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  44. Anonymous18 January 2013 at 01:41

    Both shots are fabulous!

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  45. Arti18 January 2013 at 02:26

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

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  46. Gemma Wiseman18 January 2013 at 08:47

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

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  47. Pieni Lintu18 January 2013 at 18:04

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

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  48. Magia da Inês20 January 2013 at 00:03

    .•°♡♡⊱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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  49. Wally Jones20 January 2013 at 04:47

    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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  50. NatureFootstep22 January 2013 at 05:00

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

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