Black-crowned Night Heron - a photo on Flickriver

            Black-crowned Night Heron / nycticorax nycticorax. Ossett, West Yorkshire. 11/04/23.

After waiting over 4hrs for the pair of roosting Black-crowned Night Herons to rouse themselves, one suddenly decided it was time to feed again. Here it is captured slowly advancing towards its first choice of fishing spot ... and a very unsightly spot too! Littered with dead branches, twigs and manmade litter, plus a big patch of floating scum, it obviously held some magic as the bird stayed there for over an hour. 

Whilst I was delighted to enjoy such clear views of the bird, to be honest, it didn't offer a lot of action or variety of poses. There was an awful lot of motionless crouching between successful strikes for minnows.

BEST VIEWED LARGE.

Taken on: April 11, 2023

Tags:

black-crowned night heron

nycticorax nycticorax

west yorkshire

adult

bird

migratory

vagrant

scarce in uk

2017 1st uk breeding record

big uk influx, April 2023

coastland

estuaries

marshes

inland

wetlands

reservoirs

lakes

rivers

streams

sexes similar

squat, stocky proportions

thick neck, usually retracted

broad, rounded wings

pale grey wings

white breast/belly/undertail

lemon yellow legs + toes

short legs

greenish-black back

large, flat head

greenish-black crown

2-3 white head plumes

white face

white forehead

red eyes

heavy, pointed beak

black beak

ambush predator

fish

amphibians

leeches

aquatic invertebrates

opportunistic forager

beetles

grasshoppers

spiders

dragonflies

feed mostly at night

sleep mostly in day

nest in small colonies

1 of 2 on river calder

stepping between dead wood

about to start fishing

getting into position

moving stealthily

fully focussed

partial reflection

more debris on riverbank « less

Sets appears in: • Upload to flickr • Birds

Groups appears in: • Birds of Britain and Ireland • British wild birds more » • Wildlife Of Great Britain and Ireland. • Birds and Wildlife UK • * Birds of Britain * • Countryfile • Wildlife UK • BBC Springwatch (Official) • British Bird Photography WILD BIRDS ONLY • WILD BRITAIN. • Birds and nature of the uk • All Birds UK • Wildlife Lockdown Images « less

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