Royal Flush at the Lagoon

[khiemtran]

Lunchtime at the lagoon, and the tide is extra low. Taking advantage is a royal flush of the local waders...



First up, is the striking royal spoonbill.



They really are an odd looking bird, especially when you get close.



Next, a gorgeous white egret.



And a white-faced heron.



Here you can see the egret and heron together. The egret is slightly taller and its neck has a distinctive kink.



And finally, a white ibis. These are actually quite common even in city environments, where it turns out their long beaks are well-adapted to plucking rubbish out of bins.



All four species together. But wait, there's more...



Just as I was about to head back to the lab, I spotted movement on the far bank...



It's an elusive nankeen night heron! Out in the middle of the day, no less...



I spotted them before, but I've never managed to take a decent photo. They're incredibly shy.



This one, however, couldn't resist coming out in the open to hunt. It crouches patiently, waiting for just the right moment...



Then strikes in a flash...



First course accomplished, but there's plenty more to come.



A final shot before I head back to work...

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Those are fabulous shots!

There's something so elegant about wading birds. I think my favourite has to be the Nankeen Night Heron though - three parts furtive to one part purposeful!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

three parts furtive to one part purposeful!

What I wanted to say but so much more eloquently put. :D

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

It certainly looked like it was putting a lot of effort into catching those fish!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Night herons are made of furtive! I've only seen them three times before and twice it was just a fleeting glimpse from a kayak. It was amazing to see one out in the open, and in broad daylight...

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Oh, my, how lovely!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

The first four are all relatively common around here (the spoonbill being the rarest), but I was thrilled to catch that night heron and to get to watch it fishing.

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Even were the night heron not rare, the characteristicness of its stance and moves makes those fantastic photos. *swoon*

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Nice photos of the Nankeen heron!

When I look at the ibis, I think of ancient Egypt.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, they do have that sort of look about them. Of the five birds, the ibises are probably the most mundane around here. You often see them scavenging in parks or even city streets and they can be quite confronting for small children, especially given the size of their long beaks.