Great Blue Heron: I bought a Pentax Q-7 a couple of years ago hoping that its 1/1.7" sensor would give me better images than the 1/2.3" sensors on bridge cameras do, but still provide...

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I bought a Pentax Q-7 a couple of years ago hoping that its 1/1.7" sensor would give me better images than the 1/2.3" sensors on bridge cameras do, but still provide good "reach" when teamed with a long K-mount lens via a K-to-Q adapter. Last week I was out at the drainage pond between our local mall and the bypass looking for an Egret I'd seen before, when this Great Blue saw me before I saw him. Fortunately he just flew across the pond, making the sun angle mediocre, but still giving me a reasonable shot.

For each of these pictures, the camera was set at ISO=400, shutter-speed=1/800, f-stop=f/8, and focal length= 200mm {roughly equivalent view to FF @ 930mm}

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Because of the color patterns in their feathers, great blue herons can be a hard nut to crack but this one turned out pretty good and I really like the duck. These pics remind me of a place here in south eastern PA called Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. That's a good spot to find Herons and Egrets and ducks and geese all hanging out in the same ponds.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

rmorrison1116 wrote:

Because of the color patterns in their feathers, great blue herons can be a hard nut to crack but this one turned out pretty good and I really like the duck. These pics remind me of a place here in south eastern PA called Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. That's a good spot to find Herons and Egrets and ducks and geese all hanging out in the same ponds.

Thank you for your comment.

I really like the duck also, which is partially why I chose that image to post, but honestly I was really lucky that she drifted into the picture just as I pressed the shutter {but I'll take lucky any day of the week}

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

Nice shots! Places like you mentioned above rmorrison can all be helped out better the more people purchase the Federal Duck Stamp. Many people might think it's all just for those the go and hunt for Ducks but it is not. The stamp is actually about saving lands for all birds and wildlife. If any of you do not know about the Federal Duck Stamp at all feel free to read about it at ndscs.org The site will give the full history of the stamp when it started way back in 1934.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Jana-TAS wrote:

Nice shots! Places like you mentioned above rmorrison can all be helped out better the more people purchase the Federal Duck Stamp. Many people might think it's all just for those the go and hunt for Ducks but it is not. The stamp is actually about saving lands for all birds and wildlife. If any of you do not know about the Federal Duck Stamp at all feel free to read about it at ndscs.org The site will give the full history of the stamp when it started way back in 1934.

I like duck stamp prints but I've never bought actual duck stamps before. I've purchased prints from M.R. Ducks in Ocean City Maryland.

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure Middle Creek is funded by the state of PA so proceeds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses in PA are what mainly funds the place. I recently read the state is considering shutting the place down due to lack of funds. If they do, I wonder how they're going to tell the hundreds of thousands of snow geese and tundra swans that stop there every year on their was back to the great white north.

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

Best website & dealer to deal with for duck prints and old duck stamps is Sam Houston Duck down in Houston, TX www.shduck.com. Bob Dumaine is the founder of the National Duck Stamp Collectors Society. shduck is always having auctions on old stamps and prints. Each year though when new Federals are issued you can know if you purchase a new stamp at the P.O. it will go to benefit the wildlife.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Jana-TAS wrote:

Best website & dealer to deal with for duck prints and old duck stamps is Sam Houston Duck down in Houston, TX www.shduck.com. Bob Dumaine is the founder of the National Duck Stamp Collectors Society. shduck is always having auctions on old stamps and prints. Each year though when new Federals are issued you can know if you purchase a new stamp at the P.O. it will go to benefit the wildlife.

I'll check it out. I'm a firm believer in protecting out wildlife and nature in general. I belong to several organizations such as Audubon Society and Cornell lab of Ornithology to name a couple. I even subscribe to Ducks Unlimited even though I don't hunt them, and still purchase a PA hunting license each year although I gave up hunting at least 25 years ago, too many inexperienced people in the woods with loaded firearms...

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

rehess wrote:

I bought a Pentax Q-7 a couple of years ago hoping... (show quote)

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

I read your post, rmorrison, and was so excited that you know about Middle Creek too! I've only been there once, but it was fun. Thursday we're heading out to Lancaster again; we're meeting friends for lunch, but maybe afterwards I can talk my hubby into going there! :)
Sue