White-faced heron at boatsheds, Hutt River estuary

This morning I was at the Hutt River mouth again. As I was photographing Black Swans at the boatsheds, this white-faced heron flew in. The bird landed on a boat. I walked quietly around the path and through the sheds and took this image. Then I moved too close, and the bird took off and flapped away over the water.

If you spend time photographing wild birds, you soon realize how constantly alert they are, and how sharp their eyesight is. Their sensitivity to danger, and their heightened awareness of their surroundings, even when feeding, is remarkable.