The Great Blue Heron by goodoleboy
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Description
Four of the 42 pics of the big bird I captured 5/18/12, at beautiful Legg Lake in the beautiful Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in not-so-beautiful South El Monte, California.
Fantastically ZOOM worthy.
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the Caribbean and the Galopagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores, England and the Netherlands. An all-white population found only in the Caribbean and southern Florida was once treated as a separate species and known as the Great White Heron.
Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
No nemesis here. This was really an exercise in nervous anticipation, so I tried to act cool and collected while stalking this guy, realizing the creature could take off at any moment, especially since I was standing about twenty or so feet away in plain sight. From my experience with this species, they will skeddadle at even the slightest motion. But in this instance, it was trying to ignore me, but eyeing me warily, while I was feverishly trying to compose its image in my view finder, complicated by camera shake and my periodic Essential tremor. I finally found help by leaning against trees to take shots. The heron would coyly walk away from me at times, but at least it was accommodating and gracious enough to let me take its photograph. In the meantime, its mate was staying out of sight, hidden in the nearby foliage.
Auf wiedersehen, thankx for coming aboard, and for any and all favs and noncritical comments.
Comments (12)
Rainastorm
Fantastic shots Harry! There used to be a spot in a brook around here they hung out at, but to many people swim in the spot now so the wild life stay away...which I dont blame them
durleybeachbum
Super pics!
magnus073
These are some really magnificent captures of this beautiful bird Harry
MrsRatbag
Very excellent captures, Harry; lucky you, the ones around here are skittish beyond belief!
npauling
These are superb captures of this graceful bird they are such a delight to see in the wild.
morningglory
Nice series of shots on the Heron, Harry.
Feliciti
perfect posing of him for you :) wonderful details !!
debbielove
Harry!!!!!!! EXCELLENT shots of this fine looking bird.. I've yet to get one.. lol The portrait at the bottom is really quite stunning alone! WELL DONE! More of the wildlife mate! Rob
dragonmuse
Wonderful captures.
danapommet
Four great shots my friend and an amazing collage as a result. I notice that this guy has a featherless spot on his folded wing. I find that most of the ones that I have seen in Florida have the same bald 'spot'. I have not figured why???
racolt33
Great shot of this beautiful bird and his piercing beady eye.
anahata.c
beautiful shots, and amazing they're the same bird. I discovered your problems (in your description) when I started photographing mere gulls. Even they---who, being scavengers, don't run from humans in the hope you'll feed them---always moved away as I approached. You want to say, "would it KILL you to stand still for one minute??? Just one minute???" I discovered the heron in Florida, when I visited my father; and though I don't know one type from another, I too found that I had to approach very quietly, because the bird was always one step ahead of me---always. And it flew away the minute I breached its 'safety zone'. So I appreciate what you wrote, entirely. But you got 4 beautiful shots here; and they make a perfect sequence: For one bird? That's worth kudos right there. The water changes with each shot too, and has beautiful qualities. The final one gives us a view of its complex feathers, its multi colorations, that---what---'cowlick' in the back, and the razor sharp cut of its beak. (All requiring zoom.) Kudos for the stalking, the control, what you went through, and above all the results. They're beautiful shots, harry, and you did the specie proud.