First GBH of the season

This is the first Great Blue Heron I've been able to get a photo op with this season. Taken last weekend in awful lighting, can't remember the last time I've had good shooting conditions on a weekend around here, so we work with what we can get I guess (weather-wise).

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7d+ 300 2.8?

nvm just looked up the exif, great sharpness with a 2x!

Thank you Brian! Yep, 7D, 300 f2.8L IS, and 2x mkIII. I don't like to use the tc if it can be helped, but most the birds there that day weren't very sociable. In the case of this heron though, I wish I'd not have had the tc on; I missed a few good shots because the bird was too close to fit in the frame and I didn't want to take the time to remove it (with my luck the heron would've left as I did it, and I wouldn't have gotten any pictures of it).

Great shots. Did you get any shots of those buffleheads in the background? They make beautiful shots too.

Shackleton wrote in post #15814422
Great shots. Did you get any shots of those buffleheads in the background? They make beautiful shots too.

Thank you very much! I did get a few of the buffleheads, nothing too interesting though, they were just floating and diving (I was hoping to catch them flying in or out but they were content to stay in the water), and the light didn't help their colors much, but I'll post a couple when I can.

Despite the light I think they came out very nice. Great series.

Well the light may have been low but its lovely and gentle, cracking shots.

Nice series!

Great series Mike. Nice exposures and detail .

Very nice.

Back288 wrote in post #15815727
Thank you very much! I did get a few of the buffleheads, nothing too interesting though, they were just floating and diving (I was hoping to catch them flying in or out but they were content to stay in the water), and the light didn't help their colors much, but I'll post a couple when I can.

If springtime encounters are anything like fall, they're tough to get on the wing. The only buffleheads I have ever seen in the air were on one particular pond that I hunt ducks on. I actually fell asleep, and a pair flew in over me and hit the water in a powerdive-the noise over their wings sounded like a distant airplane(they must have been within 3 feet of my head to make that much noise). They hit the water, went under, and came up for air 50-100 yards from where they went in. Smart little birds.

Edit-Even blurred, the little guys add quite a bit to the pictures. Funny how the whole bird is blurry but you managed to get the iridescence in the necks of the drakes.

stickman513 wrote in post #15816054
Despite the light I think they came out very nice. Great series.

Thanks Doug, I really appreciate it! Glad you like them!

Lester Wareham wrote in post #15816105
Well the light may have been low but its lovely and gentle, cracking shots.

Thank you very much for your kind compliments Lester!

gabebalazs wrote in post #15816271
Nice series!

Thanks Gabe!

andrewhuxman wrote in post #15817189
Great series Mike. Nice exposures and detail .

Thank you Andrew! It was one of those days where I thought I'd wear out the adjustment dials on the 7D chasing the settings as the conditions constantly changed. The whites are blown more than I'd have liked, but the conditions were challenging and I was just happy to get out there and find some interesting birds again.

Crimzon wrote in post #15817259
Very nice.

Thank you very much!

Shackleton wrote in post #15817477
If springtime encounters are anything like fall, they're tough to get on the wing. The only buffleheads I have ever seen in the air were on one particular pond that I hunt ducks on. I actually fell asleep, and a pair flew in over me and hit the water in a powerdive-the noise over their wings sounded like a distant airplane(they must have been within 3 feet of my head to make that much noise). They hit the water, went under, and came up for air 50-100 yards from where they went in. Smart little birds.

Edit-Even blurred, the little guys add quite a bit to the pictures. Funny how the whole bird is blurry but you managed to get the iridescence in the necks of the drakes.

It's amazing how some of these birds know just what to do to stay out of range, or obscured from photographers. I managed to see get some shots of them a few years ago as they semi-flew chasing each other around a pond to impress a lady bufflehead. Catching the iridescence was just one of those lucky coincidences, I never even noticed them behind the heron until processing the pictures later. When the heron came in, he kind of took over the pond; everything gave him a very wide berth, even the geese.

Ill have to take your word for it on the lighting ... I think the shots are very sharp and especially like the one with his foot up in the air!!! Great series

Amazing series, very good job

steve_douglass wrote in post #15818137
Ill have to take your word for it on the lighting ... I think the shots are very sharp and especially like the one with his foot up in the air!!! Great series

Thank you Steve, I appreciate your kind comments! I don't think he was very comfortable on the ice, he lifted one leg or the other up several times. He walked fine so I don't think there was a problem, but the ice was pretty thin so maybe that had something to do with it.

daniel1223 wrote in post #15818148
Amazing series, very good job

Thank you very much Daniel, glad you like them!