ML609501589

Age and sex

Immature Unknown sex - 1

Observation details

Continuing bird. Seen initially from the roadside about 500 m west of the lookout as it flew into view from the west and landed in a distant field (perhaps 1 km from the road) with 3 Great Blue Heron. Distinct flight profile with straight bill/head/neck out front and legs behind, noticeably different than the egrets. I watched it land and the amount of pink colouring in the wings was extensive. It stood there for at least 30 minutes as I watched it with several birders. The bill appeared bone coloured, very long, and with a large spatulate tip. Head and neck were more whitish, but, even standing, the pink colouring of the wings was quite evident. Size was noticeably smaller than the egrets. it evidently flew and could not be relocated. However, I returned about an hour and a half later and was able to find the bird again. The second time I saw it, it was standing in an open field about 1.5 km west of the lookout (I viewed it from the roadside just west of a house the colour of mustard). It was again quite distant (perhaps 800 m or more) and heat haze made photography very difficult. I am guessing the bird feeds in some of the wet channels that separate the fields in this area, coming out to stand in distant fields to preen and rest. On my initial sighting, I was able to point out the bird to several others, many from Montreal on a birding club outing.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/5000 sec

Dimensions

818 pixels x 545 pixels

Original file size

370.08 KB