Little Blue Heron
Hey Y'all,
I went down to the wetlands yesterday morn. I came across a little blue heron who seemed to be occupied with something. Normally little blues are not tolerant of humans and take off as soon as they become aware of you. I drove past it and carefully got out of the car. I made a slow and indirect approach towards it. At one point he it seemed to getting a tad antsy so I sat down on the soggy grass and it settled down again.
Its attention was directed towards the small turtle it had caught.
The little blue was having a difficult time trying to position its catch
I managed to capture a turtle flip for the first time
Right after the little blue managed to swallow the turtle this dude drives up. He stops right by the little blue casting his car's shadow over my subject and he keeps his rather noisy engine running as he tried to swing his 500mm on to the blue. He just about got it on the blue as it took off. He drove on leaving me sitting in the grass with no subject.
Seeing as my butt was already soggy I decided to stay where I was and see if the little blue returned as Ignatz and his noisy car had left. A few minutes later the little blue returned. It had decided I wasn't a threat and he got rather close to me. I had to take my 1.7 TC off my 300mm f/4 as it was so close to me. I spent two hours with it and got around 200 captures.
A few other birds also stopped by and I got a few captures of them. Good ole Ignatz returned after a bit and did his same number as before with the same results. This time the little blue didn't return.
When I was finished shooting I was in the parking lot breaking down my gear. Good ole Ignatz pulled in and struck up a conversation with me. He was shooting with a D3s and the 500mm f/4. He complained about how he drove two hours to get to the wetlands because he had heard how good they were supposed to be but he hadn't managed to get any decent shots.
It always amazes me that someone would invest $15K in his gear but then is unwilling or unable to invest some time in learning how to get the captures.
I went down to the wetlands yesterday morn. I came across a little blue heron who seemed to be occupied with something. Normally little blues are not tolerant of humans and take off as soon as they become aware of you. I drove past it and carefully got out of the car. I made a slow and indirect approach towards it. At one point he it seemed to getting a tad antsy so I sat down on the soggy grass and it settled down again.
Its attention was directed towards the small turtle it had caught.
The little blue was having a difficult time trying to position its catch
I managed to capture a turtle flip for the first time
Right after the little blue managed to swallow the turtle this dude drives up. He stops right by the little blue casting his car's shadow over my subject and he keeps his rather noisy engine running as he tried to swing his 500mm on to the blue. He just about got it on the blue as it took off. He drove on leaving me sitting in the grass with no subject.
Seeing as my butt was already soggy I decided to stay where I was and see if the little blue returned as Ignatz and his noisy car had left. A few minutes later the little blue returned. It had decided I wasn't a threat and he got rather close to me. I had to take my 1.7 TC off my 300mm f/4 as it was so close to me. I spent two hours with it and got around 200 captures.
A few other birds also stopped by and I got a few captures of them. Good ole Ignatz returned after a bit and did his same number as before with the same results. This time the little blue didn't return.
When I was finished shooting I was in the parking lot breaking down my gear. Good ole Ignatz pulled in and struck up a conversation with me. He was shooting with a D3s and the 500mm f/4. He complained about how he drove two hours to get to the wetlands because he had heard how good they were supposed to be but he hadn't managed to get any decent shots.
It always amazes me that someone would invest $15K in his gear but then is unwilling or unable to invest some time in learning how to get the captures.
Harry
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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http://danielplumer.com/
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Love the light/shadows and the content of the subject matter couldn't be much more interesting.
It's these moments that make it all worth it.
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This.
Loved the pictures, loved the story. And that turtle-flipping capture is just incredible.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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500px
well done.
greetings,
Korandoke
Korandoke
Too bad for your interruptions.
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so the flipp is back
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
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HBT Flip....
Great catch.
Not sure what is wrong with my monitor. Images look a bit washed out to me. Guess I gotta go to your place to see it:>)))
Take care
Gale
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Thanks very much Dan.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks Ric. Its always a joy for me to get to spend a good amount of time with an interesting subject. The best part of it that I was able to spend that time with it and not have it responding to my presence.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks Ira. I've seen the larger herons and egrets with tutles before but this was the first time I've seen one of the smaller herons with one.
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Leaves me wondering, what happens to the turtles shell - is it dissolved by digestion in the herons GI tract, or not?
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Thanks, all birds will flip their catch before they swallow it. I've never seen it with my eyes but I've captured it a number of times by taking sequence captures after the bird makes it catch.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks y'all for the kind words.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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Thanks Glenn. I'm pretty much used to the interruptions by now with all those civilians tromping through the wetlands. It's the lack of respect for the wildlife that bugs me.
The little blue was doing some serious hunting and dining that got interrupted by Ignatz.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks Jeff. The flip has never gone away. Its always there, now capturing it is another story.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks Gale and its either your monitor or your very old eyes that's seeing the "washed out". Also it was very subdued, soft light that morning.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Thanks PF. From my reading hard material like pebbles, turtle shells, etc. are taken care of in the second chamber of a birds stomach, the gizzard. The gizzard is very powerful and is able to break down hard material such as bones and turtle shells into pellets that are later regurgitated.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
Since this was my first turtle flip I must have been an ignoramus for a very long time.
Thanks
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
http://www.michaelhelbigphotography.com
http://www.thewildpig.blogspot.com
He was just a lazy dude who like too many others think that buying top line gear equals top line images.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"