Caught this handsome gent this AM.



Lift-off!


I am outta here....

Great photos! I see the blue herons around here quite often but only saw an egret once, similar but white.

I see a variety of herons, and esp. like to see the Green skulking around the edges of lakes in the reeds.

What shutter speed are you using to stop motion in flight? I think in terms of film cameras, in case you use digital and there's no direct equivalent.

Years ago I was doing some quiet fishing out of my canoe on a small lake. I heard a terrible croaking sound coming from the far side of the lake and saw a disturbance onshore. I quietly turned the canoe and gave a couple stroke toward shore and saw two Herons jump up into the air and slash at each other with their bills. There was an uproar of noise that closely resembled a couple of dinosaurs croaking and hissing at each other. I gave another couple strokes and by now had drifted close enough to visibly see two male great blues fighting over a female perched coyly a dozen yards away. On one occaison when they jumped up into the air they actually slashed out at each other with their claws in the same manner as you would imagine a Velociraptor, I was completely mezmorized by this great show and actually drifted shoreward to the point that I was within 50yds, they were still oblivious to me and kept going at each other until one of them had enough and flew off while the other bird collected his prize.
Another time I rounded a tight bend on another lake with my canoe, trolling a fly for a trout early of a morning and caught a big ole Heron sleepin with his bill tucked into his breast and on one leg, I must have drifted within a dozen feet before he awoke with a start, hopped off the dock he was sleepin on and flew off with a great flap of wings. Just another reason I always enjoyed fishing out of a canoe more than any other method.

And, I note, you were smart enough not to stand directly under it as it flew!

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Even older, even crankier....

You publish, right? If not you should.

Audubon has nothin' on you man!

You have one hell of a camera on that cell phone!


Pete

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Don't tread on me

Beautiful pics. I love the plumage along the neck.

I saw a Bald Eagle today and likely a peregrine falcon while I was fishing in the driving rain and wind. I hooked four white sturgeon, releasing them all unharmed. This one was about 48" long. Sturgeon pre-date the dinosaurs and fight hard. C.B.

Those photos are great! Really professional quality. Well done.

Terrific photography sir. Thank you so much for sharing.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)