Beautiful light on a Great Egret
Great Egret looking for food in Wagonga Inlet
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Zoom [ISO 2000, 500mm, f/8.0 and 1/2500])
One January morning out kayaking on Wagonga Inlet in Narooma I saw two Great Egrets (Ardea alba) in the shallow water near the southern shore line. What made them stand out was the way the early morning sun was catching their bright white plumage. They were at the point on one side of a small bay where the early morning sun’s rays were shining through. However, the land on either side of the bay was still causing a shadow on the water because the sun was still low. I paddled the kayak close to the southern shore into the shadow without scaring the birds. One of them was facing towards the sun and I waited for a time when its head was angled nicely to be lit completely by the sun before I pressed the shutter. I really liked the light on the bird and even the way some light was reflecting off the water. The Great Egret can be found throughout most of the world, except for the very dry areas. It is Australia’s largest egret species and very common.
