Kōtuku in the Linwood Canal

The kōtuku, or white heron, is revered by both Māori and pakeha for its elegant white feathers. This graceful bird has long, slender legs and a long, thin S-shaped neck, which has a distinct kink when flying. It has always been rare in New Zealand, and has attained almost mythical status. 
Wikipedia


I always feel excited when I see a kōtuku, and this was no exception. This particular bird seems to like the Linwood Canal environment though and I've noticed it there reasonably often. Lucky!

It's tricky getting photos of it, because those white feathers do tend to blow out so easily. I turned the EV down to -.07, but still had to adjust the highlights, just a tad, in Lightroom. Anyone got any more ideas? The sun was out, so that didn't help!