Another Day at Forsythe NWR
Aug 9, 2016 16:36:45 #
Obviously Forsythe is one of my favorite places to go. The green head flies were not quite as bad as last time. I only used a half a gallon of deet to keep them off!
I can not emphasize enough how much patience plays into getting shots like these. I will wait, sometimes for hours, until my subject does something interesting and I get a shot of it. I always endeavor to take pictures that are more than just "guide book" photos. I was especially pleased to get the juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron in flight as these birds are know to sit perfectly still for hours at a time. But I knew that his bird was being harassed by some nearby Great Egrets. So, I waited until he was forced to fly and I got my shot.
The Great Blue Heron was a matter of timing. If you have an actively feeding bird, you need to watch as it "loads up", becomes perfectly still, and focusses it eyes on the target. At the slightest movement you need to begin shooting. 10 frames a second really helps as this action can be over in just a second.
The Osprey shots were also a waiting game. If you have an active nest, then you know that an adult will be around at some time to feed the young. I can be anywhere from 3 minutes to 3 hours. These juvies are able to fly but the parents are still feeding them as much a 6 pounds of fish a day...so it really is a waiting game.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy taking them.
Birdpix
I can not emphasize enough how much patience plays into getting shots like these. I will wait, sometimes for hours, until my subject does something interesting and I get a shot of it. I always endeavor to take pictures that are more than just "guide book" photos. I was especially pleased to get the juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron in flight as these birds are know to sit perfectly still for hours at a time. But I knew that his bird was being harassed by some nearby Great Egrets. So, I waited until he was forced to fly and I got my shot.
The Great Blue Heron was a matter of timing. If you have an actively feeding bird, you need to watch as it "loads up", becomes perfectly still, and focusses it eyes on the target. At the slightest movement you need to begin shooting. 10 frames a second really helps as this action can be over in just a second.
The Osprey shots were also a waiting game. If you have an active nest, then you know that an adult will be around at some time to feed the young. I can be anywhere from 3 minutes to 3 hours. These juvies are able to fly but the parents are still feeding them as much a 6 pounds of fish a day...so it really is a waiting game.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy taking them.
Birdpix
Great Blue Heron
(Download)
Common Tern
(Download)
Feeding time! Drop and run!
(Download)
A juvenile Osprey flies around with his diner.
(Download)
Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron
(Download)
Aug 9, 2016 17:13:00 #
Aug 9, 2016 22:18:04 #
Aug 10, 2016 08:53:35 #
I agree with you; my best shots have rarely come by serendipity. Finding a good vantage point, good lighting angle, good subject doing something interesting or eye catching rarely happens by luck. Nice pictures of some neat birds.
Aug 10, 2016 20:08:01 #
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