Purple Heron.
24th August 2025
A secretive and very wary bird, the Purple Heron hides in undergrowth near water feeding unobtrusively. If caught out in the open they will fly away immediately if that is their best option, however, if they are found in a situation that they think compromises their safety by flying, their next course of action is to freeze and remain motionless relying on their natural camouflage.
Early one morning we were driving past a local lake and we saw a bird standing on a steep banking alongside a water filled ditch. I slowed the car right down and as described above it froze solid because we were only twenty feet away, it was too close to us for it to fly up and away - it was just too big.
It stood there intently staring at us as I poked my little zoon lens out of the car window, but it remained perfectly still. I took a few shots and drove on - the closest encounter with a Purple Heron by far.
As we were parking up we met a man who was staying at our hotel and he was trying to take images of wildlife and by his own admission he was a beginner. Nothing wrong with that we all had to start somewhere. I don't mind helping people out so I gave him details exactly where the Purple Heron was located.
He left his car and walked along the track. later on I asked him if he had any luck, he hadn't. He told me he must have walked right past the bird because when he looked back after walking along said track he could now see the bird, but after turning around and trying to walk back nearer, it flew away.
A combination of not looking closely enough and the bird's natural camouflage.
Early one morning we were driving past a local lake and we saw a bird standing on a steep banking alongside a water filled ditch. I slowed the car right down and as described above it froze solid because we were only twenty feet away, it was too close to us for it to fly up and away - it was just too big.
It stood there intently staring at us as I poked my little zoon lens out of the car window, but it remained perfectly still. I took a few shots and drove on - the closest encounter with a Purple Heron by far.
As we were parking up we met a man who was staying at our hotel and he was trying to take images of wildlife and by his own admission he was a beginner. Nothing wrong with that we all had to start somewhere. I don't mind helping people out so I gave him details exactly where the Purple Heron was located.
He left his car and walked along the track. later on I asked him if he had any luck, he hadn't. He told me he must have walked right past the bird because when he looked back after walking along said track he could now see the bird, but after turning around and trying to walk back nearer, it flew away.
A combination of not looking closely enough and the bird's natural camouflage.