Young Black-crowned night heron. Photo taken at a local pond system in Czechia. I had to sneak through the bushes to get a photo of another individual further away. Suddenly, I saw this one much closer to me, and it was kind enough to fly into the water and pose for me.

Shot on Olympus E-PL7 + M.Zuiko 75-300 mm, F6.7, 1/10 s, ISO 200, 600 mm eq. From a tripod in the water.

Postprocessing: slightly lowered exposure and highlights. Added contrast with a touch of vibrance and sharpness. No crop.