Green Heron (at last!!!)

[CyberDyneSystems]

I have been trying to get a shot of these guys for months...

Last Night I hit the jackpot. This is one of the adults,. I managed to get a few good shots of a now nearly full grown immature one too. Those can be found in my gallery.


http://images.fotopic.net/?id=886830&outx=980&oq=0&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[Spirit]

BEAUTIFUL!! I love the lighting.

[pappy]

Well done, CDS. Excellent photo.

regards,
peter

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thank you :D

These guys are so skittish,.. it was a miracle that they did not see me this time.

(it may have helped that I left the two retreivers in the car this time! :) )

[Leighow]

Well I have a friend who learned all about birds some 55 years ago and (while a lawyer) substitutes as the "birdman" on selected world tours.

He'd love this one.

Coincidently, I was still trying (in a Field Guide) to ID whether I am looking at blue or grey herons around the Bruce Pit! So I opened the "Guide" at lunch and saw all these littlier herons (pardon my use of non-words). I didn't even know they existed yesterday!

TY

HOWIE

[CyberDyneSystems]

I'm pretty sure that your pics are of a Great Blue, Howie.

BUT!

I have been struggling with the fact that what we call a Great Blue seems to look very different from the ones I see in Georgian Bay?

In fact,. what you have photos of is exactly what I allways called a great blue as I'd seen them in Canada, but down here in Rhode Island,. they look a little different. They look more like what all the reference books describe,. ie: more white on the throat and other added plumage variation.

I don't know if it is a time of year plummage thing or just a regional variation?



//none of my refernce books list a Gray Heron,... it may be a regional name?

[CyberDyneSystems]

P.S. the new gallery just uploaded;

http://cyberdynesytemsimaging.fotopic.net/show_collection.php?id=38541


:D :D

[Leighow]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
I'm pretty sure that your pics are of a Great Blue, Howie.

BUT!

I have been struggling with the fact that what we call a Great Blue seems to look very different from the ones I see in Georgian Bay?

In fact,. what you have photos of is exactly what I allways called a great blue as I'd seen them in Canada, but down here in Rhode Island,. they look a little different. They look more like what all the reference books describe,. ie: more white on the throat and other added plumage variation.

I don't know if it is a time of year plummage thing or just a regional variation?



//none of my refernce books list a Gray Heron,... it may be a regional name?


YEAH .. That's the problem. Your Blue is all feathered -- and like the Stokes guide -- but with the G2 you do not see that detail . My guide's color of the neck (mine photo shows a brown neck) are not clear.

Note that I have seen Black Cormorants on the Pit too. Immature ones are a bit brown necked -- but they lack the white head.

HOWIE

[RedShoesGirl]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
I'm pretty sure that your pics are of a Great Blue, Howie....

I am almost positive this is NOT a Great Blue. Too short of legs for one, check out this id photo

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1940id.html

[CyberDyneSystems]

RSG,

I was talking about a photo that leighow posted some weeks ago,.. the photo above is of a Green Heron which is smaller in size than even a pidgeon, so yes you are quite correct it is smaller than a Great Blue!!!!

...this is the link to Howie's Great Blue;

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13805

Sorry if I was confusing.

...here is another Great Blue;

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=795037&outx=980&oq=0&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[CyberDyneSystems]

Howie,

Check out that link that RSG provided,.

The first two photos show two Great Blues,., the first one looks pretty much like the ones I have photographed,. and looks like the ones that most of the reference books illustrate,..


....but the second one looks just like your Great Blue,. (Dude,. it's YOUR BIRD! ) :)
...which is what I spent most of my life thinking Great Blues looked like.

These extra long feathers, the white on the neck,. this is all new to me except in photos. All the ones I had seen in person were all blue grey like your pal in "The Bruce Pit"

So there is clearly a large variation in plummage,. which seeing as how our recent photos were taken days apart can not be purely seasonal.

I have seen drastic plummage variation in other species as well,. (Osprey, Red Tailed Hawks,.. etc) but I never know whether it is just an "individuality" type thing or age?

So far none of the reference material I have read gives much mention to it. But RSG's link DOES!!!

With this simple sentence:

* Shaggy neck and back plumes in alternate plumage


I had a problem ID-ing the Adult Green Herons the first time I saw them some months ago ... as they were in the middle of a plummage "moult" (spelling) ... I'll see if I can dig up a photo...

Thanks for that Link RSG! :D

[CyberDyneSystems]

O kay ready,..

All images are Green Herons;

These two are not only the same species as the first photo in this thread,.

...one of these two is in fact THE EXACT SAME BIRD as the first photo,. just a few months earlier. These are the nesting pair I have been trying to get photos of for months.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=887115&outx=980&oq=0&noresize=1&nostamp=1

a lousy crop of a photo taken at 1000mm (50-500mm w/2X converter... forgive the quality)


This photo is also a Green Heron with its "immature" first season plummage. It is one of at least two (I think three) offspring I have seen belonging to the pair above.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=886804&outx=980&oq=0&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[Laziferous]

Those are great. That first one is fantastic. You people and your 10D's... make me want to.... want to... go buy one http://forums.blindside-silence.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

These guys are so skittish...
I know what you mean. I have a G2, and I can't get anywhere near close enough to get a shot of the herons around here. If they even see me across the highway they take off!

I ordered the CrystalVue LX8 lens the other day, so I should be able to snag a few shots with that baby :D I can't wait for it to get here!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Good luck with that CrystalVue,.. if it had been around at the time,. I probably would have held of on the 10D for another year!

[CyberDyneSystems]

:D

Just drawing attention to this thread again :D

I think that RSG has solved our Great Blue Vs. Grey problem Howie....

Thought you might want to read the rest above.

[Leighow]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
:D

Just drawing attention to this thread again :D

I think that RSG has solved our Great Blue Vs. Grey problem Howie....

Thought you might want to read the rest above.




I agree -- this is my blue -- and probably the feathers are there in the "small print !". Thanks RSG and CDS.

HOWIE

[new girl on the bloc]

CyberDyneSystems - I love blue herons too; they're my favorite bird. There is such a grace about them. I live close to the Willamette River (in Oregon) so see them on occasion, but when they see me they fly away.

On this particular day I spotted this blue heron off sunning on an island; I was on the distant shore. I shot tons of photos of it while patiently waiting for it to fly but after nearly an hour I bicycled on and when I was on the opposite side of the river a long while later it was still there in the same spot! I think that the stripe on her head may be picking up the blue of the water? (Note the heart shape area behind where it sits - ;))

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=920957&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

While waiting around I did manage to catch another bird in flight though. I think it may be a turkey hawk?

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=921070&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

Thanks for sharing your photos - they're great, esp. the one of the blue heron which is an excellent shot!

[Leighow]

You Oregon Heron is a beauty.
*************************
The light is so bright I assume that it is coming in from the East. My "working hypothesis" is that shots at 90 degrees to the sun offer the best chance of light and shadows. I may change my mind tomorrow!!!

I am blown away by the glittering water.
********************************
It has to be the most special light on water that I have seen posted. It makes me want to windsurf at Hatteras when the light is just so so fine. Wonderful refreshing light.

BUT.. since you love Herons,
**********************
I will tell you that my wife was at the Bruce Pit last nite. Four herons were on site when a hawk flew in. The largest bird took off and slowly circled the Pit, the hawk trying to keep up. Then when the hawk called for reinforcements and its mate came by.

Two against one.

That is when the Heron called for help. Soon two spots appeared in the far off distance. As they drew nearer, they were clearly two more herons. They landed and stayed with the three on the ground. That being the situation, the hawks left for home.

Here is a shot that I took with the G2 last nite.
*************************************
http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/AIRBORN.jpg

[new girl on the bloc]

Leighow - thank you for your comments and compliments, and for the intriguing story. You've captured a wonderful shot; I love the reflection! Bravo!

re the light, i think that it was coming from the east, though i was so focused on the heron that i barely noticed anything else!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Oh my WOW!

That is the Bluest blue heron I have ever seen New Girl!

The light is hitting it just right!
What a stunning photo :) I hope you have a nice print of that on your wall somewhere.

The Hawk,. definatley a hawk,. not at all sure of the breed,. it is a very tricky angle. Isn't funny that a photo that is such a good action shot,. and amazingly well detailed,. should offer such a tricky angle for identifying?

I can not remember what Hawk is also referred to as a turkey hawk in some areas.

In your neck of the woods the likely suspects would be;
(in no particular order)

Coppers hawk,
Swainsons Hawk,
Sharp Shinned Hawk,
GosHawk,.. (this was my impression.. but really I can't tell)
The Ubiquitous Red Tailed Hawk (I thinkI'd recognize that one)

... the Other strong possibility,. especially since it was near the water,. is an Osprey.

I am tempted to offer the Osprey as my guess based solely on the "bug eye" that is one of the details we can make out.

___________________

Howie,

That is quite a story! I wish I had been there to see that collection of airialists!

Keep the pics coming so I don't have to drive up there!

CDS

[new girl on the bloc]

Ah, thank you kindly CyberDyneSystems for your generous comments and thanks for inspiring me! Actually I had to dig through my photo archives and dust this one off; so not in a frame, yet ;)

The flying bird may well be an Osprey since I know that we have 'em here in the Great Northwest. Here are some ID tips I found on the Osprey:

Length: 22 inches Wingspan: 54 inches
Large, narrow-winged hawk
Flies on flat wings with distinct kink at elbow
Wings taper to a rounded tip
Short hooked beak
White cap
Dark brown eyeline broadening behind eye
Dark brown nape, back and upperwings
Wings from below: flight feathers white barred with black, undersecondary coverts white and underprimary coverts black producing rectangular black mark at wrist
White chin, throat, breast and belly
Brown tail has a number of white bands

Whadya think?

[Laziferous]

Wow... all of you with your Heron pictures...I really need to get out and shoot some of these (in the most non-lethal way possible, of course http://photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smile4.gif).

Since getting my LX8... I haven't had a chance to get out and use it! I had to take care of the landscaping around the house last weekend... and this weekend is my birthday, so I don't think I'll get a chance then either. Oh man... that's making me sad. Haha.

I'll be sure to bump this thread with pictures, as soon as I get some though.

I believe there's a Bald Eagle's nest right outside one of the nearby State Parks also. I would love to get a shot of one of those.

Ok... the ramble stops here http://forums.blindside-silence.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Again, great pictures everyone!

[CyberDyneSystems]

new girl on the bloc wrote:


Whadya think?


:D I think it's an Osprey!

That is a great description you posted,. what is the source if you don't mind my asking. None of my reference books have such detail for identifying,. but then I don't have Petersen's yet for some odd reason.

[new girl on the bloc]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
new girl on the bloc wrote:


Whadya think?


:D I think it's an Osprey!

That is a great description you posted,. what is the source if you don't mind my asking. None of my reference books have such detail for identifying,. but then I don't have Petersen's yet for some odd reason.


When in doubt ask google ;). I love having a library at my fingertips and whenever I have a question (about anything) I just start searching on the web. This particular bit of info came from:

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3640id.html

Thanks for the positive ID.

[Leighow]

Hey ... you inspiring nature lovers!
*****************************
So... picture me at the Bruce Pit... I am under the walking bridge digitizing a super shot of wild flowers. They are glowing in the evening sun, the bridge is my sun shield, and the air is filled with humidity, mist and low western light! (You better ask me to post that too !!!!) One image later I emerge and see a Heron land 300 feet to my left.

I Shusssss the dog, we walk softly breaking cover only to peek though the bush cover to view the pond. But we can't see the Heron.

So like Livingston along the Nile, we press on. and on.. and on.. and on -- but only 100 feet farther to the gravel lookout.

There "she" is stalking the wild asparaus et al while in amoungst the cattails.

Ohhhh - Can - a - dahhhhhh


HOWIE

PS: Another highly cropped G2 image -- oh about 1/6 of the total.

http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/HERONINTHERUSHES.jpg

[new girl on the bloc]

Howie - I love your story and the accompanying photo. Great!

[Jenga]

Anyone know what kind this is? I think the lighting might be too bad to tell :(

http://www.pbase.com/image/20130860.jpg

[UK_Terry]

Not a heron but a Stork
I was out walking on a recent visit to Poland and came across this nest, Taken with S45

http://robinsfc.topcities.com/Forum_Posts/stork.JPG

[CyberDyneSystems]

Jenga,

When asking for a bird ID,. it really helps to know where the photo is taken? Many species live in only certain areas.

That said,. I can tell you with great certanty that you excellent photos is another "Great Blue Heron"

You see the dark patch of (almost) black just at the shoulder? As far as I know this particular deistinction is only found in the "Great Blue"

UK,

Wow that stork builds a big nest!
Looks like I could get comfortable in there! :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Howie,.

I LOVE the atmosphere in this latest pic! Stalking in the reeds!

And you and I have an odd trait in common,... :D

........the very odd habit of trying to stalk wild and skittish birds with dogs in tow!!!!!!

I allways have my two tired old retrievers along for the hike!

(I guess it adds more challenge to the "hunt" )

[UK_Terry]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:

Wow that stork builds a big nest!
Looks like I could get comfortable in there! :)

It sure is big, i saw a few nests and they are all on top of electricity poles.

smaller birds nest underneath
it is quite a sight.
i just wish i had taken my 10D out that day,

[PacAce]

Wow, nice pictures, everybody. Really impressive! Being partial to birds, I really enjoy viewing all kinds of bird pictures. Thanks.

This summer I was fortunate enough to run across a Great Blue Heron who regularly visited a local park near my place. I'd like to share some of my pictures of the heron with you, if you don't mind.

http://tanseikai.com/tanseikai/index_herons.htm

I also have a Green Heron picture but it's not as good as Cyber's.

http://tanseikai.com/tanseikai/pages/Green%20Heron.htm

[PacAce]

UK_Terry wrote:
Not a heron but a Stork
I was out walking on a recent visit to Poland and came across this nest, Taken with S45



Hi, Terry,

I noticed that you have an interest in birds of the mechanical kind as well. I took the liberty of looking at some of the aircraft pictures in your gallery and they are really nice. Great shots you have there!

[new girl on the bloc]

excellent pictures PacAce! i've been waiting to catch a blue heron in flight! it nearly looks like is was posing for the camera. the closeup shots are amazing. were you able to get that close or do you have a super telephoto?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Great shots PacAce,.. :D

I got hooked by a Red Tailed Hawk too!

If it weren't for the pair of them nesting in DownTown Providence,. I would still own an Olympus digicam instead of a 10D with 500mm lens, and I'd be a few thousand dollars richer!

Wonderfull photos pf the Great Blue,. those three profile shots were you are really up close to that big guy! Oh my!

That is the toughest looking Blue I have ever seen!

[PacAce]

new girl on the bloc wrote:
excellent pictures PacAce! i've been waiting to catch a blue heron in flight! it nearly looks like is was posing for the camera. the closeup shots are amazing. were you able to get that close or do you have a super telephoto?


CyberDyneSystems wrote:
Great shots PacAce,.. :D

I got hooked by a Red Tailed Hawk too!

If it weren't for the pair of them nesting in DownTown Providence,. I would still own an Olympus digicam instead of a 10D with 500mm lens, and I'd be a few thousand dollars richer!

Wonderfull photos pf the Great Blue,. those three profile shots were you are really up close to that big guy! Oh my!

That is the toughest looking Blue I have ever seen!

Hi, New Girl and Cyber,

Thanks for your very kind words.

I shot the Great Blue Heron with a 10D and a 100-400L. And although I was relatively close to the heron, I still wasn't close enough for the heron to fill the frame even at the 400mm setting of the lens. I cropped the original frame a little to get the seemingly tighter shot of the bird. Actually, the size of the heron in the original frames looks more like this (or maybe just a tad bigger):

http://www.tanseikai.com/tanseikai/pages/Great%20Blue%20Heron_204.htm

New Girl, I know what you mean about waiting to catch the blue heron in flight. That's exactly what I had to do to get my shots. When I first saw the heron at the park, another lady who was also photographing him, said that the heron was a regular daily visitor to the park, arriving around 4:30 PM and leaving just before dusk. So, every day after work, for a week, I went to the park to see if I could get there early enough to catch him flying in. No such luck! The closest I got to catching him in flight was when I was walking into the park with my camera in my backpack. He had already landed by the time I got my camera out. He always landed on this small island in the middle of a pond in the park.

A week later, I saw him by the edge of the pond instead of on the island. So, I got my camera out and started to slowly walk up to it to get some real close up shots of it. As soon as he saw me approaching he took off flying. Fortunately I had my camera set up for taking flight pictures, i.e. 10D in AF Servo mode and the 100-400L in IS mode 2. As soon as he hit the air, I pressed the shutter release and never let go. (It was tough trying to get a focus lock on him with him flying away from me!)

Cyber, I'm sure you'll appreciate what came next...after a burst of 9 pictures, the camera slowed down to a crawl as it started writing the images to the CF card. Now the thing was that the heron was flying AWAY from me so the pictures weren't going to be as good as those with him flying TOWARDS me. As the images were being written to the card, the heron did a 360 degree U turn and heads straight for me. I still had my finger pressing down on the shutter button but this time the camera was going maybe one frame a second. Talk about something being agonizingly slow, this was it. Then when the perfect in-flight picture of a heron came into view (good focus and composition) the camera stopped clicking. ARG!!!!! >:(

When it started up again an eternity later, the heron had already landed on his favorite perch atop a tree. Oh, well, I was thankful I got what I DID get! :)

[UK_Terry]

PacAce wrote:
UK_Terry wrote:
Not a heron but a Stork
I was out walking on a recent visit to Poland and came across this nest, Taken with S45



Hi, Terry,

I noticed that you have an interest in birds of the mechanical kind as well. I took the liberty of looking at some of the aircraft pictures in your gallery and they are really nice. Great shots you have there!


Thanks Pac, i have a few more to put up from this years shows.

you have some fantastic photos on your site, i especially like the Great Blue Heron in flight , brilliant shots.

[PacAce]

UK_Terry wrote:
Thanks Pac, i have a few more to put up from this years shows.

you have some fantastic photos on your site, i especially like the Great Blue Heron in flight , brilliant shots.

Hi, Terry,

I'll look forward to seeing your new airshow pictures. Be sure to let us know when they're up.

[CyberDyneSystems]

...I'm sure you'll appreciate what came next...after a burst of 9 pictures, the camera slowed down to a crawl as it started writing the images to the CF card...


Oh yes,...

Been there for sure! :(

...In fact lat night I was 'trying" to get some new pics of the Green Herons offspring,.. well the light was horrible and I was too far away so I can't whine about the 9 frame buffer too much,. but wouldn't you know I was out of buffer just when it took off!

I did manage two shots one of which is moderately interesting... I'll post it later.

[marie]

http://www.pbase.com/image/17918993
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918986
http://www.pbase.com/image/17919863
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918942


all the pictures are terrific on the post.
and the stories
I love seeing the heron
and any shots of birds

been dying to do this for ages CyberDyneSystems
you deserve to see my very very green water shots.
before I go out

and in your space too :D
(some were on before )
:)

best wishes

marie

[PacAce]

marie wrote:
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918993
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918986
http://www.pbase.com/image/17919863
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918942


all the pictures are terrific on the post.
and the stories
I love seeing the heron
and any shots of birds

been dying to do this for ages CyberDyneSystems
you deserve to see my very very green water shots.
before I go out

and in your space too :D
(some were on before )
:)

best wishes

marie


Great shots, Marie.

Curious! They look like the Great Blue Heron but they seem to be dwarfed (like the legs are too short). :) Or was it the angle from which the picture was taken that makes them look that way? Or maybe they're a different species all together (don't have my Sibley's bird guide just right now so I can't look it up to verify).

[Leighow]

MARIE -- Love those Herons!
***********************
I love those Herons (esp #1 & #2). The water is so green in #3 too . I never get this close. Never close enough to see the feathers. Good thing these are not GREEN Heron or we'd be looking for the Blarney Stone!.. just kidding... especially so now that I've finished reading how "The Irish Saved Civilization". Thank you Ireland.

HERON standing in a Pond
*********************
But let me add another shot of one of my Herons. I just got 2 shots off . Then, when I moved forward I frightened the bird.

DARWIN: Heron vs FROGS = Fright&Flight vs Fight
****************************************
The log in this image usually supports about 5 suning turtles. They're as quick to dive as the Herons are to fly. Which made me wonder about the extent to which the "Survival of the Fittest" is evident in their "flight" reaction.

HYPOTHESIS:
***********
Herons and Turtles are "ancient species" because they are imprinted with the "flight" gene. I'm not so sure about frogs!

What's your opinion? !

HOWIE

http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/HERON5.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

Another beautifull and serene image Howie,. the floating on a log gives a different feel to it as well.

Marie,. those are fabulous! I can't get over the Heron "chillin" with the Seal! :D :D
Thanks for posting those.

[marie]

thank you PacAce

yes, it may have been the angle I was taking the pictures from , that their legs look a little dwarfted .
you could be right.
you know if we take a picture of someone and we are on a height of any kind
they can look a bit distorted when the person is lower down.
maybe thats it.
I have not got a clue what type of heron they are
watching all here on the post I see the different sorts which makes it very interesting .


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thank you howie,
that picture you show here is just BEAUTIFUL

I am mad mad mad... about your pictures.
(those last three words are very important in this sentence )
the colours , the setting, the whole scene ,
that heron perched, calm water and the far shore showing golden glows.
it is most beautiful .

the turtles must be fairly small to move so fast ?

great goings on in nature all the time
and the pictures really tell a great story

thank you. its really beautiful

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you CyberDyneSystems

punishment ......... (for me or you ) ? ???
you don't have to say anything
(right, you are speechless )
its disgusting of me but just showing a few more shots of the seals and the heron together
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918998

http://www.pbase.com/image/17976743
http://www.pbase.com/image/17976751
http://www.pbase.com/image/17976759


http://www.pbase.com/image/17918929
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918935


now tell me you still love to see shots of herons :D
hope I have not killed them off for good

one shot is repeated but I had a different title under it because its showing after another shot which may explain .
not great but ....
have a good day :) :)


regards
marie

[CyberDyneSystems]

marie wrote:



its disgusting of me but just showing a few more shots of the seals and the heron together
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918998

http://www.pbase.com/image/17976743
http://www.pbase.com/image/17976751
http://www.pbase.com/image/17976759


http://www.pbase.com/image/17918929
http://www.pbase.com/image/17918935


now tell me you still love to see shots of herons :D
hope I have not killed them off for good

one shot is repeated but I had a different title under it because its showing after another shot which may explain .
not great but ....
have a good day :) :)


regards
marie

Now,. you didn't think that I would follow the first set of links without browsing some more,.. I allready found the other Heron seal pics! I can't get over the Heron hanging out so close to that big 'ol mamal! I never thought they were only shy of us Primates,..


Looks like we need a Heron Only Share Photos section! :D :D

[Leighow]

marie wrote:
thank you howie,
that picture you show here is just BEAUTIFUL
marie

MARIE

Very kind comments. Let me impose again on CDS's moderating skills and original post to stress that my Heron images are simply good luck and a good camera !

1: HIGHLY CROPPED:
*****************
This image represents only 13% of the original frame. That is the best that I can do with the G2. In other words, that is about as close as I can get to a Heron while giving myself some body cover.

2: MANY VISITS YIELD OPPORTUNITIES
*******************************
Don't foregt that I walk by this pond almost every morning (and most evenings). Also, I walk the north side of the pond that comes closest to the shore. The opposite side borders a 50 foot hill. My side offers some cover, and for morning shots it seems to give the birds a good peak at the breakfast menu.

3: KNOWN SHOOTING LOCATIONS AND GROUND COVER
********************************************
So, when I see a Heron in close-- and that is about
once in every five rounds as many times they are on the far side of the pond -- I creep behind the available brush and hope to get off two shots. This was nice because the bird gave a nice cross view to the camera.

4: HAND HELD - CENTER FOCUS
**************************
My camera is set to at least a T = 160 and ISO = 50. The settings on this shot were more like T = 320, and A = 5, which may explain why the foreground is blurred while the bird is fairly sharp. Of course I aim at the bird as the camera's focus has been set on center.

5: POST PROCESSING IS REQUIRED
****************************
The rest is post-processing, including:
- straightening the horizontal of the far shoreline
- cropping to set the bird on a "golden mean which invloves things that I did not see until I got home, such as:
............how to crop so as to emphasize and retain the sunlight shore and strong line of that shore,
............how much of the purple loosestrife to retain
............how to maximize the cross diagonals created by the grass (right to left) and the purple loosestrife (left to right)
........... how to sharpen the Heron (lassoed, sharpened , and a stamp-out of a two-pixel halo along the throat)
- Finally, I darken the entire image a tad, switched to Adobe 1998, desturated a tad, altered the color balance a tad

The G2 with its 4 megapixels and 3x zoom makes cropping possible. Finally, on a shot like this, the G2 -- unlike an SLR -- eliminates the pressure to frame the shot in the field.

HOWIE

[danisaacs]

Wonderful pics by everyone. I love large birds, and growing up spending summers int he Irsih Hills of Michigan instilled a deep appreciated for the Blue Heron in particular. I don't have any pictures of one, but I did get some good shots while at a bird show at the Toledo Zoo. Click for the larger pics.

This is a "rescued" Bald Eagle:
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/112_1284-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/112_1284.jpg)

A species of hawk:
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1308-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1308.jpg)

An Owl landing above a small child:
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1310-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1310.jpg)


I don't know what this was, but it was big. :)
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1312-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1312.jpg)

This was an Eagle, don't remember what kind, but he was the biggest species of Eagle.:
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1314-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1314.jpg)

And here, he looks ready to eat my brother:
http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1316-sm.jpg (http://danisaacs.com/images/new/incoming/030728/zoo/113_1316.jpg)

[Leighow]

Hey -- DAN

Great pics of all sorts of birds. That eagle is monster! Must have had lunch before you guys came along. There is quite a bird board for your state at http://www.northbirding.com/database/ .

Keep flying 'em in.

HOWIE

[Leighow]

Well CDS and fellow Heron fans, Greetings from the Great White North:

Eat your heart out, or at least a few carrots. This is is as close as nature and the G2 130 mm lens allowed.

HOWIE

http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/THREESHOTHERON.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

And look at those fall colors! :)

Things are JUST starting to turn here further south.
Wonderfull photos Howie!

[Leighow]

Well CDS and all you Heron fans:
**************************
I saw this bird down the creek at about 9am.

-- 1st Shot - I walked 100 yards stood up, shot, bird flew 50 yards, overexposed.
-- 2nd shot -- bird on the wing
-- 3rd shot THIS SHOT bird standing, takes off
-- 4th shot bird on the wing
-- 5th shot - scared her off - bird on the wing

Then a Big Big Blue Heron -- chases this baby out of the larger pond. This baby flysback to a high tree overlooking the creek.

So I took a few hundred calories of this girl's energy to get this shot. She probably returned to fish the pond for another hour!

HOWIE

PS: This is about 1/3rd of the frame -- so it has twice as much detail as I usually get.

http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/BEST_HERON.jpg

[LegMaker]

CDS,
I'm still waiting for your Heron calendar to come out!
Hopefully after my trip back to Florida in Dec I can catch some shots to share with you.
Great shooting...Always like to see these shots form you...

[CyberDyneSystems]

Looking forward to seeing some more of your work Christopher :)

And Howie,,. thats a sweet image for sure!

Very nice indeed.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Here's a nice scene I came across,. couldn't get any closer on this particular afternoon.

Sorry about the jpeg quality,. it didn't look so bad before I uploaded?

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1580008&outx=980&oq=0&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[Leighow]

CDS

Fantastic -- going for gold here ! I am amazed at how we all retain such a fascination for these large birds; and except for your big lens, in my own case at least, I would not know what they look like at the feather level.

Regards,

HOWIE

PS: A birder told me that some Black Cormorant were dropping into a nearby river-pond. I may take a peak.

[marie]

howie and cyberdyne,
the photographs are wonderful and very very beautiful

the herons look so elegant in all that magnificent colour.

congratulations over and over
those birds sure know where to stroll around :)
they lead us to places we maybe would never have ventured into
( where you.... as photographers, ventured for thses pictures)

thanks for the sharing of 'their' beautiful lives......
right here

:)

best wishes
marie

[ilya]

Hope non-Herons are allowed ..... this one performs a public service :)

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1584493&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[ilya]

ok, if you insist... far from technically acceptable, but I'm lens challenged for the time being


http://images.fotopic.net/?id=1584488&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[CyberDyneSystems]

Great shots Ilya! :D

...and indeed we are open to other,. non heron type birds here! :D

That White Egret looks like it is flying over my salt marsh! Good job getting it in flight!