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CICONIIFORMES now and then [v19.02, 31 species, 59 new additions]
This is one of 14 galleries into which photos of specific birds may be lodged. In alphabetical order they are: 1-‘Ciconiiformes’ (large waders etc.); 2-‘Corvids, Starlings, Doves, Pigeons’; 3-‘Finches, Buntings, plus’; 4-‘Gulls and Terns’; 5-‘Larks, Thrushes, Woodpeckers’; 6-‘Odds, medium to large’; 7-‘Odds, small to medium’; 8-‘Pipits, Wagtails, Hirundines, Swifts’; 9-‘Raptors including Owls and Vultures’; 10-‘Sea Birds and similar‘; 11-‘Tits, Warblers, and similar’; 12-‘Waders A to R’; 13-‘Waders S to Z’; and 14-‘Wild Fowl including Swans’. As usual there are a few poor photos that are there for record purposes only. The explanatory text that goes with the Home Page gallery will be revised accordingly.
Historically the order 'Ciconiiformes' embraced large wading birds such as herons, storks, spoonbills, and flamingos. More recently others species such as New World vultures have been added and others removed. Currently views seem to differ and some believe only storks remain in the order. The photographs in this gallery are of some of the species which in the past may have been acknowledged as belonging to the Ciconiiformes order. There may, however, be doubts as to whether they are still part of 'the family'. Hopefully, what is not in dispute is that these birds are often very pleasing on the eye and can, for us amateurs, be less challenging than other species to locate, identify and photograph.
The species included here are: Bittern; Bittern, American; Bittern, Little; Egret, Cattle; Egret, Great and Great White (EU); Egret, Little; Egret, Snowy; Flamingo, Greater; Heron, Great Blue; Heron, Green; Heron, Grey; Heron, Little Blue; Heron, Night (EU) and Night Black-crowned; Heron, Night Yellow-crowned; Heron, Purple; Heron, Squacco; Heron, Striated; Heron, Tricolored; Ibis, Glossy; Ibis, White; Limpkin; Spoonbill; Stork, Black; Stork, White; Stork, Wood. The current galleries featuring Green, Grey and Striated Herons as well as Little Bitterns will be withdrawn. There are, of course, other species that would qualify for a place in the gallery. However, for the moment at least, I do not have any (suitable) photographs.
V16.11 ADDITIONS. Photos added to six existing species as follows. Cattle Egret (21-24), Little Egret (29-31), Grey Heron (33-36), Glossy Ibis (29-34), Spoonbill (20-27), White Stork (21-22).
V17.07 ADDITIONS. No new species. Little Bitterns (35-36), male and female ‘portraits’ recovered from a few years ago and (37-43) from June 2017 trip to Algarve; Little Egret (32-35), also from June 2017; and likewise Spoonbills (28-32).
V18.02 ADDITIONS. No new species. Photos as follow. 10x Bittern (26-35) Barnes, London; 2x Little Bittern (44-45) Algarve; 4x Cattle Egret (25-29) Algarve; 5x Great White Egret (15-19) Algarve and Somerset; 5x Little Egret (36-40) first Somerset, other four Algarve; 21x Greater Flamingo (15-35) Algarve; 15x Grey Heron (37-51) all Algarve except 37-38 and 40-42 Somerset; 1x Night Heron (20) Algarve; 3x Purple Heron (12-14) Algarve; 7x Squacco Heron (21-29) SW Spain; 1x (35) Glossy Ibis; 9x Spoonbill (33-41) Algarve; and 5x White Stork (23-27) Algarve.
V18.08 ADDITIONS. Sacred Ibis birds, Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal. Ill prepared and from long distance I managed to photograph a few birds one day in June, 2011. Since then I have hoped to see more of this scarce species and allow some much better photos to appear on my website. Unfortunately I have not succeeded and have decided to include the photos that were taken seven years ago.
V18.11 ADDITIONS. No new species. The 53 new additions are made up of Little Egrets (41-55), Great Blue Herons (38-54), Grey Herons (52-61) and Spoonbills (42-52). The photos were taken in southern Portugal save Grey Heron (56) – UK and the Great Blue Herons – West Canada. Of some possible interest are: the Little Egret catching a sole; the photos of the juvenile Grey Heron c.f. the adults (56, 60, 61); the juvenile Spoonbills (black wing tips); and a distant photo of four adult Spoonbills.
V19.02 ADDITIONS. No new species. A review of the Black and White Storks has produced the following; 5 extra photos (2-6) of the Black Stork seen in the Algarve in 2009 - none recorded since; and 54 photos (28-81) of the very large collection of the White Storks not previously in the website.