L’airone cenerino
The Grey Herons at Lago di Alviano are studious. Nothing disturbs their concentration:

They are tense, waiting for that exact moment when they can…

This one doesn’t even notice when a Sacred Ibis nearly lands on top of it:

There’s something beautifully ungainly and bizarrely balletic about their landing:

And their wingspan is impressive when they stall their flight and splashdown:

Their crest is comical and their breast feathers long and decorative:

And their exotic back feathers?

Beautiful.