Flying grace - a grey heron in flight over a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron standing at the bank of a frozen forest stream near Castricum, NL

Juvenile grey heron standing in a shimmering pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron flying landing awkwardly amid stalks at the edge of a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron flying with flaps down and ready to land on a little island in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron landing with a sharp banking turn on an island in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron taking off from a little island in a pond near Castricum, NL

Stalking grey heron in a pond near Castricum, NL

Descent from heaven - spread wings of a grey heron while landing in morning light near Castricum, NL

Grey heron touching down near the bank of a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron rising out of the water of a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron landing in a patch of irises in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron landing in misty pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron with neatly combed feathers sitting in a marsh with neatly draped grasses near Castricum, NL

A grey heron landing on a ray of sunlight at the bank of a ditch near Castricum, NL

Grey heron in a kind of "low pass flyby" passing a herd of grazing horses near Castricum, NL

Grey heron gracefully performing some wing maintenance in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron looking like a fierce warrior here with all its crest feathers raised (a threatening stance) amid rushes in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron spreading its reflected wings like an X-wing starfighter from Star Wars in a pond near Castricum, NL

Grey heron sitting in the glow of early morning light on an abandoned coot nest in a pond near Castricum, NL