Heron Flight

[Alan]

White-faced Heron today

[Ironwood]

Thats nice Alan. Very dreamy looking background.

[Alan]

Thanks Brad

[seaslug]

Is that a white faced? Looks more like a blue heron or something else.

[Alan]

I'm not familiar with a Blue Heron?

I thought it may have been a Reef Heron from a distance, but I don't think they have yellow legs?

Happy to be corrected

[seaslug]

I'm no bird expert, but it just doesn't look like the white faced Herons I see here.

I holidayed on Heron Island in the 1980s and the marine biologists there were calling the dark grey/blue herons there; Blue Herons, but I wouldn't have a clue as to whether that was correct or not. I can't remember what the leg colour was and I' d have to hunt through hundreds of slides to find a pic but it's just not worth the effort.

Some-one else might know better.

[Isac]

What you have there Alan IS a white faced heron. It's just a bit dark but has the markings and colour, and the orange legs.

[seaslug]

Your better at it than me then, I can't see a white face.. looks more like an Eastern Reef Egret and the leg colour is debatable.

[Alan]

"The White-faced Heron is mostly light blue-grey in colour, with a characteristic white face. In flight, the dark flight feathers of the wing contrast with the paler grey plumage, making this bird easily identifiable when viewed from below. It has a long, slim neck and a pointed grey-black bill. The legs are long and dull yellow in colour. Sexes are similar. When breeding, the birds have long feathers (nuptial plumes) on the head, neck and back. The White-faced Heron has a slow bouncing flight. Young White-faced Herons are similar in appearance to the non-breeding adults (no nuptial plumes), but are duller, with little or no white on the face. They often have a reddish colour on the underparts." Birds in Backyards

"There are two colour forms of the Eastern Reef Egret. The white form has a white body and wings, a yellow and grey bill, a bare face that is green-yellow, and dull yellow-grey legs. The dark form has a slate-grey body and wings, with a small white streak on the throat, the bill is slate-brown, and the legs are grey. The eyes of both forms are yellow. The Eastern Reef Egret is also called the Eastern Reef Heron, and the dark form the Blue Heron or Blue Reef Heron. Birds in Backyards

This is a very average photo of the heron before it took flight.

[seaslug]

Thanks Alan.. not much in it by the look of it. We're saying this is a young one then. I've not seen them like that in Tassie young or otherwise.

[Alan]

I think so? When I first saw it I thought it was a Reef Heron because it was so dark and I couldn't see a white face, but the closer I got the less sure I became.

We need Stephen here, but I don't think he frequents the Artistic Forum

[Sully]

He/she looks to be on 'speed'

Tip: When using motion blur filter, use the transform tool to pull the right and left sides out to remove the 'sharp' blur at the edges (or top/bottom if blur running up and down)

[Alan]

Thanks - good idea

[avkomp]

ID sometimes tough. am hopeless at some marginal ID pix too. most of the white faced herons I see do infact have to white faces.
the flying pic didnt remind me of a white faced heron at first glance either (for what it is worth)
I looked over a few pix of reef egrets and they looked very similar to the pre flight one
this pic particluarly reminded me of the pre flight one:
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/foru...ern-Reef-Heron
my money is on this being the bird. but I am not a gambler