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Bird of the Day, theme 'CHE Cormorants, Herons and Egrets'

natureJul 26, 202622611,856

Today's Bird of the Day is theme #CHE, calling for Cormorants, Herons, and Egrets, with an alternate theme of Memories. The gallery is full of wildlife photography focused on shorebirds and waders: sunrise herons, egrets catching fish and touching reflections, and cormorants showing off striking profiles or wrestling with prey. Standout submissions include a great blue heron photographed at sunrise in Longmont, Colorado, a double-crested cormorant noted for its aquamarine eyes in the Everglades, and a tricolored heron lifting off from the shallows along coastal North Florida. Look for juvenile green herons, roosting cormorants on a sunset log, and elegant great egret poses under the #CHE tag.

Photo by Kort Duce A great blue heron checks its surroundings after waking up from a nap during a spectacular sunrise at a nature area in Longmont, Colorado. In this vertical color photograph, a great blue heron stands on one leg atop a partially submerged log, facing the camera with its head turned to its right and its eye wide open. The weathered log is surrounded by countless upright branches, each draped in delicate spider webs that glow as they are backlit by the rising sun. The entire scene is bathed in warm golden and orange hues from the sunrise. Cottonwood seeds, feathers, and other organic debris drift across the water's surface, catching and refracting the light to create delicate circular bokeh highlights. The heron's reflection extends out of the bottom of the frame, joined by the reflection of the surrounding branches. Gentle ripples spread across the pond, gradually widening toward the foreground. The lower half of the image glows with the most intense golden light as the sun's rays illuminate the water. A peaceful portrait of a great blue heron resting in the heart of a thriving wetland, highlighting the beauty of these fragile habitats that are essential to the survival of this remarkable species.
@kortduce.bsky.social1697
fan art by @simonecannon.bsky.social
@simonecannon.bsky.social592
fan art by @jenzsky.bsky.social
@jenzsky.bsky.social371
Heron standing on a rock in the river at sunrise. Co. Galway, Ireland.
@knotweed-ireland.bsky.social341
An egret raises its head from the water after trying to catch a fish. The bird stands in the shadows and is backlit by the rising sun
@amygann.bsky.social286
The sun above White Cloud Island in the mouth of Colpoy's Bay, Ontario rising through wildfire smoke with orange clouds above the smoke. The sun and orange clouds are being reflected in the water. Part of my #GettingBackToBasics project made with a 12 year old mirrorless camera and a no name 135mm lens from the 1970s or 80s.
@davemeredith.bsky.social292
A close-up portrait of a Little Egret standing in still, dark water, photographed in profile with its long black bill slightly open. The bird’s pristine white plumage contrasts dramatically against the deep navy background, while its bright yellow eye and greenish facial skin stand out with striking clarity. Fine, delicate breeding plumes cascade from the lower neck and breast, adding soft texture and elegance to the image. Gentle concentric ripples spread across the water around the egret’s partially submerged legs, echoing the graceful curve of its long neck. The minimalist composition, crisp feather detail, and high contrast between the luminous white bird and the inky water create a refined, almost sculptural portrait of this elegant wading bird.
@alan678.bsky.social253
fan art by @birdrgirl.bsky.social
@birdrgirl.bsky.social223
A cormorant in the water. It stretches its head upwards and devours an eel. The tail end of the fish is still hanging out of its beak.
@rina2012.bsky.social200
Small Blue, white and purple heron shaking out its feathers briefly before returning to the hunt at the water’s edge, with an out of focus rock in the foreground bottom right corner.
@grays.art202
fan art by @msriffle.bsky.social
@msriffle.bsky.social194
Three Cormorants perched on a log with quiet water as a background.
@invisitech.bsky.social158
A young heron stands on one leg in a bed of seaweed at low tide.
@sealeveloslo.bsky.social150
I absolutely adore Dartford Warblers, from the beautiful, muted colours to the scratchy song and this coupled with the emotion of the first time seeing one after a three-year search in The New Forest will always hold a special place in my memories and will never forget it & every year, I head back to The New Forest at the start of Spring to once again hopefully catch a glimpse. The Dartford warbler is a tiny, active bird with a dark grey back and a deep wine-red chest. It has a long tail that it cocks upward, a thin bill, and a bright red ring around its eye. It lives low in prickly bushes and makes a scratchy, rattling song. Size and Shape Tiny body, about the size of a sparrow. Long, thin tail held up at an angle. Short, rounded wings. Thin, sharp beak. Colours: Dark grey or slate-brown on the head and back. Deep cherry-red or wine-red on the front and chest. Bright red ring of skin around the eye. Soft feathers, but it lives among sharp, spiky gorse plants. Sound and Movement Makes a dry, rattling, or buzzing call and scratchy song. Bobs and flits low between thick bushes. Climbs to the top of a bush to sing.
@fraggenstein.bsky.social136
A Little Egret fishing in a rock-pool, the bird is in side profile with its left side showing. It is crouched over the water having just struck a fish. Its head and neck are coiled against its body and its right leg is out of the water as it moves forward Its reflection shows a mirror image of the bird in the water in front of it. The water is perfectly still expect for where the birds beak has struck and where its leg is coming out of the water.
@atlanticbirding.bsky.social142
A photo of an immature great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing chest-deep in dark green water while tossing a small silver fish in its open bill. It's a large, tall wading bird with bright yellow eyes, a long neck, grayish-brown and white streaks on its neck and belly, gray wings, a white throat, a dark gray cap on its head, and a long dagger-like gray and orange beak. It faces left in shady lighting with its bill wide open and the fish hovering inside it.
@hlkfotos.com140
fan art by @lorichirp.bsky.social
@lorichirp.bsky.social123
A Reddish Egret white morph is standing in horizontal profile view facing right, in still, shallow, gray-blue water in very late day light. The graceful, large, long-necked, wading bird is all white with black legs and a long pink bill with black at the end of it. The egret is caught in a split second of its hunting “dance”, with both long wings arched beautifully over their head and pointing downward towards the water forming a canopy. A part of the bird’s reflection in the water is below and looks golden in the warm light. Reddish Egrets are fairly rare, and a white morph even more so. This species typically dances and spins with wings up over the head like this while looking for fish — a joy to watch in action.
@christinae.bsky.social126
A goldfinch on a large sunflower with a seed in its mouth
@roabrams.bsky.social105
A roadrunner sitting a couple feet away from me on the backyard patio.
@watchinthesky.bsky.social110
An 'akepa, a tiny orange bird with a short pointed beak and black wing edges, poking about the red, brushy flowers of an 'ohia lehua tree, surrounded by thick leaves and dense branches
@hawaiianimages.bsky.social102
An egret stands facing the camera on a curving branch along the bottom of the frame. Behind green and brown reeds crisscross. The light shines upon the egret from the right, lighting up its side, neck and head.
@kevin.wertman.org106
2 juvenile green herons stand side by side on a small concrete weir looking at each other with wetland vegetation in the background and around them.
@pacbirds.bsky.social105
fan art by @taminf.bsky.social
@taminf.bsky.social92
This Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), Rio del Mar beach, Aptos, California was thought by some to be a bit of a find at the time. I was just pleased to have gotten a reasonable shot of it as it foraged in the still tidal lagoon waters.
@neilcam57.bsky.social85
fan art by @adamlittle.bsky.social
@adamlittle.bsky.social91
fan art by @marjosl.eurosky.social
@marjosl.eurosky.social74
Snowy egret facing left with its head lowered, a long black beak, one visible yellow eye, black bent legs, and white feathers lit by sunlight from the left, creating a bright glow along its back and side, standing in shallow water among reeds with its reflection visible below.
@justinejones.bsky.social68
fan art by @josephlm.bsky.social
@josephlm.bsky.social70
fan art by @debdebz.bsky.social
@debdebz.bsky.social70

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Bird of the Day, theme 'CHE Cormorants, Herons and Egrets'nature