Ardeidae » Mother Nature

I will never forget the morning when visiting birder in Sharm el Sheikh told me that that morning she saw Purple Herons on the Golf course.

I was envious, I admit it. We visited that course quite often and I hadn’t seen them. Yet. I went there the next day and the day after, by myself. No luck.

Then, finally, I got to see my first Purple Heron. Fell in Love right away & managed to snap a quick photo

A few days later one of these fine creatures appeared right where we lived. It was early morning and I didn’t want to spook him. I post the shot here anyway, because I love the memory of seeing him that morning

I saw some of these guys around for the time of migration, even in the nearby abandoned old Sewers (birds love it there).

But it took over 2 weeks to finally get lucky and get close enough for a precious shot that even my 18-200mm lens could manage

As usual, to see the images larger, click on an image and then one of the arrows

Taken with a Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm

in Sharm el Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt, May 2009

Copyright by NicoleB Photography

Question: Is anyone of you folks over at Project Noah? I just discovered it this week and love it so far

Now, hop on over to my fellow Bird Lovers and take a peek at their world birds!

I remember the first time I saw a Squacco Heron. In Hungary in 2009. At my favorite lake. Pretty much nobody goes there, sometimes I see a warden. The dogs can roam and bother nobody, not even the birds.

I was walking my favorite route when I saw this strange bird at the waters edge, drinking, then flying away, past a swan. I was at that time not that sure and quick with the camera, nor was (or is now) my 200mm made for far away photos. So I spare you the blurry ones (including the one with the Mute Swan, which would have been a great shot ).

The Squaccos I saw in Egypt were much more cooperative. They roamed the thick grass in front of our apartment for lizards and were not too perturbed by me pointing the cam at them

And surprisingly (or maybe not), the highest count for me was 6 of them doing a flyby over the golf course here in Kuwait this year.

Photos taken with a Nikon D300 & a Nikkor 18-200mm

Copyright NicoleB Photography

To view the photos larger, click on the photo and then one of the arrows

Mother Nature

Purple Heron, Purpurreiher, Ardea purpurea

Squacco Heron, Rallenreiher, Ardeola ralloides

Western Reef-Egret, Küstenreiher, Egretta gularis

Also called Western Reef-Heron.

I was lucky enough to get the two forms (White Morph and dark Morph) close enough for a decent photo while I was in Bahrain.

I will have to check, if these are from the race schistacea, where the dark Morph is more blue grey.

You can find more Infos over at Birdforum.

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