Birdy-long-legs

This week, Denzil, for his Nature Photo Challenge #9, invites us to hunt down long-legged birds.

So I’m going to book-end my post with herons, omnipresent herons, seen in every continent but Antarctica, almost anywhere where there is fresh water. I could have shown you one of our local birds, patiently fishing in the River Ure. Instead, I feature one seen in urban Busan, South Korea, and finish with one surveying the evening scene from his look-out post in l’Albufera, Valencia, Spain.

Let’s stay in Spain, and showcase a stork supervising the nest a-top a church in Tudela, Navarre.

Now Greece, and another member of the heron family, the egret, hunting for breakfast.

Let’s return to England. But you’ll only find flamingos in places like Slimbridge Wetland Centre.

Just as Lockdown came to an end, we ventured once more into the Yorkshire Dales, and found curlews, so newly unaccustomed to traffic that as we parked ready to go on our walk, they stayed nearby, unconcerned.

The patterned curlew blends in so well with the less-than patterned grasses. Especially the legs. Keep looking – you’ll find them.

I bet you wouldn’t expect to find a hen in this post. But our neighbour’s chickens have long legs. And they lay the smallest hens’ eggs ever.

And finally, as promised, here’s our Spanish heron.

L’Albufera, Valencia

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

40 thoughts on “Birdy-long-legs”

  1. Lovely post! We have a heronry not far from us. It’s always a treat to watch them feeding their young at this time of the year. I’m very fond of them probably because they remind me of storks spotted on holidays all over Europe and a couple in Morocco

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  2. Lovely collection of long legged birds! I’m a particular fan of curlews, I often observe them here in Scotland. On our spring trip to Germany, we saw many storks. Another favourite of mine. And don’t get me started on herons… We have lots of grey herons here. Understated elegance. Beautiful!

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  3. Herons and storks are my favourite birds, Margaret. Possibly because they’re large enough to see, and they can be quite static. Storks are everywhere here, and not remotely fussy about where they nest.

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  8. LOL for your title Margaret 😊. Loved your birds especially the curlew. How sweet that they didn’t fly away – I suppose COVID was good for something anyway. Don’t you just love how the blue herons leave their legs hanging down when they fly? Such a beautiful bird!

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  13. Great title and a great selection of birds. That curlew shot is rather special 😯 And why didn’t I think to include storks?! I have several from Faro that would have fitted nicely!

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  16. There really is something about long-legged birds. I enjoy watching the little egrets and the grey heron who nest communally in a tree across the West Looe River every year. This tree is one in a bank of trees, the entire space is heavily wooded. I noticed this month that the only tree which is beginning to show its green dress is the nesting tree. It can’t be a coincidence.

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