The White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) is among the most familiar and widely distributed of Australia’s waterbirds, distinguished by its soft slate-grey plumage, long slender yellow legs, and the pure white of its face, throat, and upper breast. This elegant wader inhabits an extensive range of environments, from tidal estuaries and coastal mudflats to freshwater wetlands, inland lakes, and even urban parklands. Its feeding is a study in quiet precision, the bird advancing slowly through shallow waters in search of small fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates, striking with a sudden dart of its fine, dark bill. I recall that I first captured this image during a journey to Lakes Entrance, Victoria, undertaken in my university years with the purpose of practising waterbird photography. Situated where the Gippsland Lakes meet the Southern Ocean, Lakes Entrance is renowned for its vast system of inland waterways, sheltered lagoons, and sweeping sandbars, providing an ideal refuge for a diversity of avian life. The morning light over the calm estuarine waters, combined with the abundance of birdlife, created a scene of tranquil beauty—an atmosphere perfectly suited to observing and photographing the graceful White-faced Heron in its natural domain.
Linking Saturday Critter
