White Faced Heron

I have many birds on my list of favourites. I guess that they really can’t be ALL favourites. A better way of expressing it would be to say that I really enjoy seeing this species or that species.

White Faced Heron

On the list of birds I really enjoy seeing and watching is the White Faced Heron. This bird is such an elegant, neat and beautiful bird that I delight in every sighting of this species. On a recent trip to visit my daughter in Clare in the mid-north of South Australia we came home via Kapunda, an old historic copper mining town now farming centre. It was time for a cuppa, so we pulled off the main road through the town and found a delightful little park. Birding was a secondary aim but this little interlude was rather special.

White Faced Heron

A single White Faced Heron was stalking elegantly through the sticks and mud and debris at one end of the small artificial lake in the park. As I cautiously approached for a close up shot it flew to a nearby bridge across the lake, alighting on the hand rail. I was delighted with the resultant photo.

White Faced Herons are found throughout Australia where there is suitable habitat. They are mostly found in shallow wetlands, swamps, farm dams, tidal mudflats, grasslands and are sometimes seen visiting garden fishponds. On one occasion we even had one visit our swimming pool… er… “swamp” - it had frogs in it at the time.