We stayed with friends just north of Greymouth and had a great catchup. Right behind their house is a small lake, with heaps of wildlife. Suzanne casually said oh look, there is a white heron... It is commonplace for them to see these majestic birds (in fact, they have even begun bringing sticks in on top of the chicken coop, and tried to make a nest there). This image is spoiled by an old fence that was part way across the lake, but even so, I was thrilled to see and photograph a kōtuku. I love the water drops coming from its feet as it took off.
If interested tag the photo ":theme-February2024 "
Here is the information for the challenge: https://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/48885/new-february's-monthly-theme-and-vote-for-january's-close-up-theme