White Herons at Dusk

After a lazy day at home, I thought I'd try my driving legs again and drive down to the edge of Lake Ellesmere just before the Prices Valley cutting.

I was excited to see four white herons, or kotuku as they're natively known, out in the shallows of the Kaituna Lagoon. Adding the 2x teleconverter to my 70-200 2.8 lens, I got some good frames, but then four other birds joined the group in this small pool of light. I removed the teleconverter to allow me to focus a little better, and managed to grab this shot just as the light was fading.

Have a look at the large version for a headcount!

I might venture down to Ellesmere/Te Waihora again in the morning - with a bit of better light I might be able to get some better closeups with the teleconverter on. Here's hoping they're still there...