Orange Eye
Still waters, watchful eye — the silent hunt of a juvenile black-crowned night heron begins.
There are certain moments as a photographer when time slows, the lens stills, and the animal before you sees you. Not just as part of the scenery, or a vague shape, but as a presence—witnessed and weighed. That was the moment I captured in this image titled Orange Eye, taken on a still morning at the edge of a freshwater vlei at Intaka Island in the Western Cape.
The bird—slightly awkward yet graceful—was a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. Its feathers, mottled brown and white with streaks on the underparts, told me it was still in its early years. But its gaze—that steady, unflinching orange eye—suggested otherwise. There was nothing naive in its look. This bird was studying me as carefully as I was composing my frame.
I was positioned low, almost level with the waterline, concealed just enough not to disturb. The vlei, bordered by reeds, was quiet save for the occasional rustle of wind through bulrushes and the soft plop of unseen life beneath the surface. These wetlands are not always generous to those seeking drama—they require patience. But that patience was rewarded in full.
The heron was floating, or rather standing so still in the shallow shallows that it seemed to float, as its reflection quivered in the water’s surface. The orange eye, vivid against its cryptic plumage, scanned the surface. It was feeding time—early enough for the shadows to still cling to the banks, late enough for the light to thread gold through the reeds.
It took slow, deliberate steps, barely disturbing the surface, embodying the predator’s patience. Herons don’t chase. They wait. They measure. They strike. This one hadn’t yet struck anything, but its movements were those of a bird learning the rhythm of the hunt.
What drew me to press the shutter wasn’t just the beauty of the bird—it was the sensation of being acknowledged. The heron paused. Its gaze fixed on me with what I can only describe as mutual curiosity. I wasn’t just photographing a bird. I was part of the scene, if only briefly, before it returned its focus to the rippling water in search of prey.
This kind of encounter is what keeps wildlife photographers returning to the veld, to the vleis, to the fringe places where nature still quietly writes its stories.
About the Subject
The Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a shy and enigmatic waterbird that often escapes the notice of even seasoned birders. Unlike the more flamboyant day herons, this species is typically active during the twilight hours—dawn, dusk, and especially at night—emerging from dense reedbeds and trees to hunt stealthily along the edges of rivers, vleis, and marshes.
Juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons, like the one featured in Orange Eye, are distinctively different from their adult counterparts. While adults boast a sharp black crown, red eyes, and clean grey-and-white plumage, the juveniles are clad in camouflaging streaks of brown and cream. Their eyes are a striking orange—burning bright like a warning light in the dawn.
These herons are short and stocky by heron standards, with thick necks and sturdy, dagger-like bills. Though not uncommon, their elusive nature means they’re seldom seen—let alone photographed—especially in such calm and visible postures.
Their diet is diverse, ranging from small fish and amphibians to insects, crustaceans, and even small mammals or birds. Fascinatingly, they’re among the few bird species known to use tools. Some have been observed dropping bait onto the surface of the water to lure fish within striking distance—an act of remarkable intelligence.
Breeding in colonies, sometimes alongside other water birds, they build nests of sticks in trees overhanging water or in reedbeds. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the young. In the Western Cape, breeding often coincides with the summer rains.
As their habitats—wetlands, vleis, and marshy riverbanks—face increasing pressure from development and climate change, sightings like these are a quiet reminder of the wild beauty that still survives in unexpected corners.
Feathered Friends Collection
Welcome to our feathered friends, with their flights of fancy, twitchers' delight, and the lightest touch.
Ever-present in our lives, birds fill the skies, settle in tree branches, and thrive on the ground. Their movements fill us with delight and awe, and their silence is broken by delightful songs or anxious craws. This collection celebrates these moments in time with our feathered friends.
Sony A1, Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, FL:600mm, S: 1/640s, A: F7.1, ISO: 125.
