Birds Intermediate (rare) and White-faced Heron

[Ralph]

When I posted up these shots the white bird which happens to be the Intermediate Heron.
I was told by this old fella who has forgotten more than I will ever know.
He told me that this one is rare in our area and he said he has been after one of them for quite a long time.
So it made me happy that I was able to get a shot or 2 of one of these unknowingly.

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 640

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 640

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 402.8 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 640

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 402.8 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 640

• ILCE-7M3
• 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports 021
• 402.8 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1600 sec
• ISO 640

 

[iamdlewis]

If you really want to know if it is a Medium/Intermediate Egret post it on ebird and the local expert will probably be quick to either affirm or correct (there has been only 1 unverified reporting of an Medium/Intermediate Egret in all of AU and that was 7 years ago so somebody would be quick to check such a reporting). To me the bill looks wrong (too long) to be an Medium/Intermediate Egret but it still could be a Little Egret which would be a more likely rare spotting for your area.

Medium Egret - https://ebird.org/species/integr1
Little Egret - https://ebird.org/species/litegr

 

[Ralph]

If you really want to know if it is a Medium/Intermediate Egret post it on ebird and the local expert will probably be quick to either affirm or correct (there has been only 1 unverified reporting of an Medium/Intermediate Egret in all of AU and that was 7 years ago so somebody would be quick to check such a reporting). To me the bill looks wrong (too long) to be an Medium/Intermediate Egret but it still could be a Little Egret which would be a more likely rare spotting for your area.

Medium Egret - https://ebird.org/species/integr1
Little Egret - https://ebird.org/species/litegr

I am going by the knowledge of an old fella here who has forgot more that I know. And when he tells me just what it is and yes he said it is rare to our area in the same talk. I tend to listen to him to more people here. As many just want to be right but this old fella is right far more than he is wrong.
He has taken me to area
s around here that I had no idea about and lead me to more hard to get birds. So, yer I tend to listen to him over many others.

 

[iamdlewis]

It is great to have someone that can guide like that but even as you said they could be wrong. I have had professional guides incorrectly identify birds in the past, most often shorebirds, and they will tell you that it is ok for them to be wrong, there are a lot of birds.

I only question it because I had no idea what an Medium/Intermediate Egret was and what I found about it doesn't seem to match up. If it is an Medium/Intermediate Egret there are most likely a number of birders that would love to add that to their list, especially given the rarity for your area, and posting that on ebird would alert them.

I only press you to do this because if he is right that is big news for the birding community but if he is wrong it isn't a big deal because he misidentified a bird that the birding community says "Often confusing and difficult to identify, this bird is truly intermediate between potential confusion species."

 

[Ralph]

It is great to have someone that can guide like that but even as you said they could be wrong. I have had professional guides incorrectly identify birds in the past, most often shorebirds, and they will tell you that it is ok for them to be wrong, there are a lot of birds.

I only question it because I had no idea what an Medium/Intermediate Egret was and what I found about it doesn't seem to match up. If it is an Medium/Intermediate Egret there are most likely a number of birders that would love to add that to their list, especially given the rarity for your area, and posting that on ebird would alert them.

I only press you to do this because if he is right that is big news for the birding community but if he is wrong it isn't a big deal because he misidentified a bird that the birding community says "Often confusing and difficult to identify, this bird is truly intermediate between potential confusion species."

This man has been birding for well over 60 years and I am sure he in his time has got the odd one wrong. But in this case I would not doubt him and there is a thing we have here called Ebird and he has told people what birds are and they have reported them just as he has said and to this date has not got it wrong..
So in this case I will believe what he has to say as I know for a fact this is one he has been after and as we say here I tin arsed getting it before him not that it is any sort of competition. He is not one to lead you up the wrong line as he take pride in what he does. And hardly ever make comment until it is a birds like this one when is wanted by many.
There are some in the group that will tell you the wrong bird to make you look stupid but not him. As he know the group would will come back at him hard for doing something like that. So I will go by his words on this subject over anyone's because I trust him.
Oh and that eBirds never at one stage has said he was wrong on his id here either.

 

[iamdlewis]

Reporting that find, especially with the great photos, would be valuable information to the thousands of researchers that use ebird data and would be great for all the other birders in that area for getting a lifer.

 

[Ralph]

Reporting that find, especially with the great photos, would be valuable information to the thousands of researchers that use ebird data and would be great for all the other birders in that area for getting a lifer.

With the flood waters we had here and are still here we have got quite a lot of bird which are uncommon to the area yet they are here. And not that I use eBird as I go by word of mouth to get birds and quite often I don't care what I get and only find out once posted as was the case with this. Other can report them which I am sure they have and just one last thing these do come here in high waters as we are in now.
And once you put down a bird with is uncommon here everyone turns up and this does more damage to the bird being here as they just have no time to settle as there is something pointed at them all the time.
So to me reporting has its good side but it has just as many bad sides as we know in my area so well.