Great Blue Heron thread

[jamn4ex]

Chris I just bought a 50 mm. Your work has inspired me to get closer.... think I might have to feed the ducks to get some shots though .

[mariejo]

[mariejo]

While vacationing in Cuba, those were really far away...but still manage to have a decent view of those....Many of you have access to them really easily....so many really great pix...!!

[jamn4ex]

Me too Elise its the ground for me.Rob I like 3 and 4 .

[mythlady]

Thanks, Tim -- I appreciate it.

A couple out of the water:

[Steve S]

Nice heron shots everyone, i don't know how you get so close? They are very skitish around here. Here is a couple more i got edited.......................................

[Donald]

What an amazing thread. The overall quality of images is quite breathtaking. Has someone told the Blue Heron bird-watching fraternity (or the bird-watching community in general) that this is the place to come to see highest quality images of the Blue Heron?

[mythlady]

Steve, I wonder whether they could be more skittish because you're close to their nests?? I have no idea where the rookeries are -- the birds I shoot are in pretty public places like state beaches, where they're often standing in the middle of the road or in the parking lot. They seem pretty used to people. Most of my pics look closer than they actually were (the magic of cropping ).

(Hey Donald, you're back!)

[Jan de Vries]

Hi Steve,

Here they are skittish too. When you stays in your car and drive slowly you can come very close to them. The heron with fish I could follow for more then 10 minutes. Even the sound of the camera and flash did not disturb the heron.
On this way I have also pictures of a great crested grebe with youngs from a close distance. Sitting in a chair works for ducks and swans too. They behave then natural.
I like your pictures very much also because of their natural behaviour and they are flying

Jan

[Steve S]

Steve, I wonder whether they could be more skittish because you're close to their nests?? I have no idea where the rookeries are -- the birds I shoot are in pretty public places like state beaches, where they're often standing in the middle of the road or in the parking lot. They seem pretty used to people. Most of my pics look closer than they actually were (the magic of cropping ).

(Hey Donald, you're back!)

Around here, they will fly away if they see you 75 yards away and it doesn't matter where they are. Very skitish. They tolerate me at the nest site. They will fly away when i first climb up the tree and then they will come back in just a few min. Any loud noise and they all fly off the roost.(quite a sight actually).

[Steve S]

Hi Steve,

Here they are skittish too. When you stays in your car and drive slowly you can come very close to them. The heron with fish I could follow for more then 10 minutes. Even the sound of the camera and flash did not disturb the heron.
On this way I have also pictures of a great crested grebe with youngs from a close distance. Sitting in a chair works for ducks and swans too. They behave then natural.
I like your pictures very much also because of their natural behaviour and they are flying

Jan

Thanks Jan. I have gotten a few shots out of the car. Sometimes they will fly away when you pull up in a car. I guess other places they are more used to people.

[MiniChris]

One of the nice features of the D7000 is quiet mode shutter...it's not totally quiet, but it's a lot quiter than normal and helps me to get closer and sustain a vantage point longer...in most cases however, like Steve says, they are wary of humans and don't generally give much quarter.

[Steve S]

What an amazing thread. The overall quality of images is quite breathtaking. Has someone told the Blue Heron bird-watching fraternity (or the bird-watching community in general) that this is the place to come to see highest quality images of the Blue Heron?

Perhaps national geographic.

Everyone has posted some great images so far. I hope they keep shooting and post some more.

I still have several months of photos to shoot (untill the little one's fly off the roost). Now that i found a new tree (much closer), i should have some real good shots of the young. I hope to get some feeding shots and be there the day they fly from the nest.

[tameigh]

Great White North heard from

You guys inspired me and I got this one at lunch today down by the drawbridge

Marie,
Those Cuba pictures are wonderful.

[Steve S]

Nice shot with the snow. Different.

[Jan de Vries]

There is a white heron that uses its wings to reduce the reflections of the water. Pictures of this you can find on smugmug.com. I have never read that the grey heron is doing the same. This heron holds his wings for a few seconds above the water and then attacks. Sad is that I waited till the heron attacks and not make also pictures just before the attack.
I learned from a fisherman that many fish swim to the edge to escape from an attack. It looks that this heron knows that too.



Cheers, Jan

[jeffmoll]

Haven't really had the time to read the whole way down through the thread but thought I'd at least add mine while I'm here...



A lot of PP cuz the RAW is quite bad. Low light and low grade lens. Shooting for a soft, almost watercolor feel.

[Sam Smith]

This was shot in Dec at a golf course in Florida. I was about 15 to 20 ft from it.

[Steve S]

Next set.................................

[Diane Darlow]

Thanks elise, glad you liked them.

Here is a different shot. I could see this one through a small hole in the trees as it flew into its nest. I tried timing it to catch the bird when it was in the hole for a clear shot. The interstate makes for a very different background.

Love this one, Steve. The unusual background makes the pic one that I cant run out and take a copy of. Great stuff.