Spring Residents of Bird City, Avery Island
My husband, Edmund, and I had a lot of fun photographing some of the Spring 2011 residents of Bird City, which was founded around 1895, initially to help save the Snowy Egrets from extinction.
ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE MUCH APPRECIATED! These were taken with a Canon 7D camera, 500mm lens, mostly at f/6.3, ISO 100, and various shutter speeds. A few were taken in lower light at ISO 400.
1. Quite a variety of birds nested and perched in a Buttonwood tree just a few yards from Bird City's observation platform. This Roseate Spoonbill wasn't nesting there, but perched for a few minutes (to observe me, I think.)
2. I think this is a Green Heron, and I just read that they are supposed to be one of the most intelligent birds, as they are one of the few species that uses tools--they toss food or insects on top of the water to attract fish.
3. Tricolored Heron, formerly called the Louisiana Heron
4. Another Tricolored Heron, I think.
5. One more Tricolored Heron
6. We now have a large colony of White Ibis at Bird City.
7. Common Gallinule, also called Florida Gallinule or Common Moorhen. I have read that Gallinule chicks have spurs on their wings that help them hang on to their parents if they are threatened. It seems the parents can then fly off to safety, taking their chicks with them. Can this be true?
8. Cattle Egret
9. Another Cattle Egret
10. This is probably another one of Harry's "A Man's Work is Never Done" stories.
11. Okay, we do have plenty of Cattle Egret.
12. Snowy Egret with its distinctive yellow feet.
13. Another Snowy Egret showing why their feathers were once in such demand as decorations for women's hats, putting them at risk of extinction.
ALL SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE MUCH APPRECIATED! These were taken with a Canon 7D camera, 500mm lens, mostly at f/6.3, ISO 100, and various shutter speeds. A few were taken in lower light at ISO 400.
1. Quite a variety of birds nested and perched in a Buttonwood tree just a few yards from Bird City's observation platform. This Roseate Spoonbill wasn't nesting there, but perched for a few minutes (to observe me, I think.)
2. I think this is a Green Heron, and I just read that they are supposed to be one of the most intelligent birds, as they are one of the few species that uses tools--they toss food or insects on top of the water to attract fish.
3. Tricolored Heron, formerly called the Louisiana Heron
4. Another Tricolored Heron, I think.
5. One more Tricolored Heron
6. We now have a large colony of White Ibis at Bird City.
7. Common Gallinule, also called Florida Gallinule or Common Moorhen. I have read that Gallinule chicks have spurs on their wings that help them hang on to their parents if they are threatened. It seems the parents can then fly off to safety, taking their chicks with them. Can this be true?
8. Cattle Egret
9. Another Cattle Egret
10. This is probably another one of Harry's "A Man's Work is Never Done" stories.
11. Okay, we do have plenty of Cattle Egret.
12. Snowy Egret with its distinctive yellow feet.
13. Another Snowy Egret showing why their feathers were once in such demand as decorations for women's hats, putting them at risk of extinction.
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Thank you, Stephen! Best, Pam
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Thanks, Jeff! It surprised me that I had to use -1 2/3 exposure compensation to keep from blowing out the white birds. But I sure had fun watching the birds. Best, Pam
Thank you, Mike! Edmund and I were really surprised by the variety of birds. There are so many egrets at Bird City that the others get sort of overlooked, or at least outnumbered. We found a large colony of White Ibis that we hadn't seen before. And I've never been that close to a Roseate Spoonbill before. Lots of fun! Best, Pam
I think you should push the brightness on the background of #5 a little more though.
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Thanks very much, Harry, from Pam and Edmund!