A Lesson in Patience: Photographing a Little Egret at Herold’s Bay

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Yesterday afternoon, I spent nearly two hours in the company of a solitary bird. To be honest, I wanted a soft-serve ice cream cone with a Cadbury flake in the middle and where better to get one than the beach at Herold’s Bay. Because it had to be a reward, I first needed to take a few photographs to justify the indulgence.

A great beach for surfers, swimmers and sun worshipers, Herold’s Bay doesn’t lend itself to award winning seascape photography. Neither were there any Vogue or Sports Illustrated models strutting their stuff at the time and, besides, someone my age taking pics of young girls could result in an arrestable offence.

I drove along the beach until I came upon the little egret fishing in the rock pools. Although it’s called a little egret, the bird in question is fairly large, especially when it stretches its neck.

A keen fisherman in my younger days, watching this bird do what I haven’t done for many years, gave me immense pleasure. And a sense of deep envy. It was also a lesson in patience and concentration. The bird stood perfectly still, poised, but ready to dart its long beak into any seafood delicacy that ventured within its range. Similar to my past fishing excursions, unfortunately, there were very few fish in the pools. As a result, the bird did a lot of standing and very little darting. I know the feeling.

I would have liked to get closer to the little egret but two things stopped me. Firstly, I have less confidence in my rock clambering skills these days and, carrying expensive camera equipment, I preferred not to take a chance. Secondly, the tide was coming in and I had visions of myself marooned on a rock, surrounded by the sea. It’s something that’s happened before.

That left only one choice – a long lens. It also gave me the opportunity to learn something by experimenting with camera settings. I eventually waved my thanks to the little egret, now looking hungry and forlorn as it stood on the tidal pool wall, as I made my way to the ice cream van.

There’s nothing like Cadbury flake and vanilla ice cream.