I thought they were blue?

Early morning appointment this morning, finished by 8 so I thought I would see if there was anything within the local Wattle Downs community worth photographing before I returned home. Whilst it is a pretty little peninsula surrounded by water - as the name peninsula suggests - there really is not a lot of attractive scenery to tempt a photographer.

My little adventure coincided with an early winter frost. Onlookers may have considered me mad as I wandered along what Wattle Downs residents consider a beach... I was disappointed that my general summation of the area in photographic terms was pretty accurate despite the tide being completely in, though a few water birds did catch my eye.

A spied what I believe was an oyster catcher, though my photos lacked the sharpness and proximity to be sure. It flew off as I approached. I was also unlucky with the fast moving and cheeky kingfishers who ceased their dipping and diving as I approached their fishing spot. I stood for quite some time amidst the frosty flora, waiting for them to leave their perches, but alas, they were too smart for me.

I did manage to steal a few photos of a heron. Now I thought it was a blue heron, but when I came home and did my research, turns out it's a white-faced heron.

True, it does have a white face. And general observation shows it really is grey not blue. Except when you photograph it in the silky morning blue-tinged water. I have posted the same photo twice here, one with the water painted in black and white so you really can see that I was right - it is BLUE.  In the first photo anyway. (No post processing on the blue either!)