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Great Blue Heron
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
These magnicent birds are extremely difficult to get close for a good shot, but this time was different for some reason. I was able to observe this fellow for about 15 minutes from about 40 meters away. I took this image with my lens at max 200mm and even at that, I cropped this image some to get a perspective I was fairly pleased with. Enjoy.
The familiar Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. It is a large bird, with a slate-gray body, chestnut and black accents, and very long legs and neck. In flight, it looks enormous, with a six-foot wingspan. Adults sport a shaggy ruff at the base of their necks. A black eyebrow extends back to black plumes emerging from the head. Juveniles have a dark crown with no plumes or ruff, and a mottled neck. In flight, a Great Blue Heron typically holds its head in toward its body with its neck bent.
Adaptable and widespread, the Great Blue Heron is found in a wide variety of habitats. When feeding, it is usually seen in slow-moving or calm salt, fresh, or brackish water. Great Blue Herons inhabit sheltered, shallow bays and inlets, sloughs, marshes, wet meadows, shores of lakes, and rivers. Nesting colonies are typically found in mature forests, on islands, or near mudflats, and do best when they are free of human disturbance and have foraging areas close by.
Great Blue Herons are often seen flying high overhead with slow wing-beats. When foraging, they stand silently along riverbanks, lake shores, or in wet meadows, waiting for prey to come by, which they then strike with their bills. They will also stalk prey slowly and deliberately. Although they hunt predominantly by day, they may also be active at night. They are solitary or small-group foragers, but they nest in colonies. Males typically choose shoreline areas for foraging, and females and juveniles forage in more upland areas. |
mvdisco, Dyerco, tanburi, dareco has marked this note useful
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Wow, I've barely ever seen one of these from a distance, let alone this close. Good patience on your part to wait him out and observe.
Good side view of the bird, and nice comp with the wetlands vegetation all around him there.
Nice job Gerald.
Trudy
- djw
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 0 N: 55]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(873) - [2009-08-10 17:55]
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Hi Gerald, really nice shot. Good comp and I love all the natural color tones. Thanks, Dave
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- Inka (8)
- [2009-08-10 19:17]
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O yes , this pic is verry good.
Nice shot.
Hi Gerald,
Excellent caught of view of this beautiful blue heron,
Excellent point of view well presented and composed,
great colors and sharpness,
Excellent contrast too.
well done.
Michel
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- Gasleb
(1794)
- [2009-08-11 5:26]
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Hi! Gerald ,
Good capture ,nice composition and détail . Wonderful color and focus . Good job Bravo!
Have a nice day
Gaston
Hi Gerald
A good shot of this guy in his environment. The light is a little flat but as you say you were lucky to get this close.
Phil
Hello Gerald,
Well composed heron with natural environment
Loved well suited frame too
TFS
Selahattin E
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- dareco
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1717 W: 16 N: 840]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(15143) - [2009-08-13 23:14]
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This is really quite different for you, I like it! Good colors and excellent detail. TFS
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 24 W: 8 N: 54]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/s-n-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 923 W: 81 N: 829]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(5294)