Roseate Spoonbills on Avery Island

PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
edited May 1, 2012 in Wildlife
Last year was the first year that I knew we had a few Roseate Spoonbills nesting at Bird City in Avery Island's Jungle Gardens. This year there are many more, and they are so beautiful to watch. Bird City was originally founded as a refuge for Egrets, and there are thousands of the white birds here--so the Roseate Spoonbills stand out and seem to love to steal the show. All comments and suggestions welcome and appreciated! All photos were taken with a Canon 7D and a 500mm lens.

Best, Pam

1. Bright sunny day, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/500, -2/3 EV. I think I should have had more exposure compensation, but I used NIK's detail extractor to try to save the shot.

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2. Bright sunny day, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/500, -2 EV

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3. Cold (believe it or not in south Louisiana in April) cloudy day, f/6.3, ISO 800, 1/1000, -2/3 EV

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4. Same cloudy day, f/6.3, ISO 800, 1/500, -2/3 EV

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5. My husband named this one "The Thinker," and obviously I cloned the background into oblivion. I think this was the same cloudy day. f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/2000, -2/3 EV

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6. This was taken from too far away, really, but the best flight shot I got. Cloudy day, f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/1250, -4/3 EV. I just noticed that I need to clone the power line away, and I will!

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7. This is a poor quality photo, but look at the bird's bill--it looks to me like it was shot--see the holes on the bottom and top? Have you ever seen anything like this?

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Comments

  • Dick on ArubaDick on Aruba Registered Users Posts: 3,484 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2012
    You're right, they are absolutely beautiful. Nice to have these captures in your collection.
    "Nothing sharpens sight like envy."
    Thomas Fuller.

    SmugMug account.
    Website.
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Excellent set of one of my favorite subjects. Nice work on the flight capture. On that image there is a bit of distraction from what appears to be some kind of line running htrough the top third of the image. Some cloning would take care of that.

    Nice work Pam.
    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!"
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Dick on Aruba wrote: »
    You're right, they are absolutely beautiful. Nice to have these captures in your collection.

    Thanks, Dick. These are my favorite birds, and it is so nice to have more of them here! Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    Harryb wrote: »
    Excellent set of one of my favorite subjects. Nice work on the flight capture. On that image there is a bit of distraction from what appears to be some kind of line running htrough the top third of the image. Some cloning would take care of that.

    Nice work Pam.

    Thanks, Harry. Somehow I never noticed that power line in the flight capture until I posted the photo here! Cloning is on my schedule today! Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2012
    A few more photos--and one redo!
    I went back to Bird City today to take photos of the other birds there, since it seems I had more
    Roseate Spoonbills than anything else from the last few days. What did I get? More Roseate Spoonbills, but they are so beautiful I could never pass them by. Today they were flying around Bird City in groups of four or five in formation like the Blue Angels--only pink, of course.

    1.

    2012-L.jpg

    2.

    2012-L.jpg

    3.

    2012-L.jpg

    4. This one with the power line cloned away, as Harry suggested:

    2012-L.jpg
  • Dennis KaczorDennis Kaczor Registered Users Posts: 2,413 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    Some very nice captures Pam. Every year I go to Florida, I always look foreward to seeing these birds as they are sure neat looking.
    Regards - Dennis

    Dennis Kaczor Photography
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2012
    Very nice Pam, spoonbills are so colorful I can never pass them up. They are a tough exposure and its easy to blow the highlights especially on their shoulders. Onsome ofyour images I woiuld have increased the exposure adjustment by -1/3 of a stop.
    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!"
  • raptorcaptorraptorcaptor Registered Users Posts: 3,968 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2012
    Another good set, Pam! Your spoonbills are much prettier than ours. (St. Augustine)
    Glenn

    My website | NANPA Member
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2012
    Dennis Kaczor wrote: »
    Some very nice captures Pam. Every year I go to Florida, I always look foreward to seeing these birds as they are sure neat looking.

    Thanks, Dennis. No matter which other birds show up here, the Roseate Spoonbills are always the fairest of them all. Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2012
    Harryb wrote: »
    Very nice Pam, spoonbills are so colorful I can never pass them up. They are a tough exposure and its easy to blow the highlights especially on their shoulders. Onsome ofyour images I woiuld have increased the exposure adjustment by -1/3 of a stop.

    Thanks, Harry. I know exactly which ones you mean, too! Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 27, 2012
    raptorcaptor wrote: »
    Another good set, Pam! Your spoonbills are much prettier than ours. (St. Augustine)

    Thank you, Glenn. I wonder why they would be different? This is only the second year I have been sure they were nesting at Bird City. And we never used to have them at all. I remember the first time I saw one, I was so surprised! They are so lovely, and ours here seem to know it. They are not a big shy, and seem to like looking at us as much as we like seeing them. Best, Pam
  • fool4thecityfool4thecity Registered Users Posts: 632 Major grins
    edited April 30, 2012
    Spoonbills are amazing birds, sorry to see one with a hole in its bills. Hope that's not from a bullet... Thanks for sharing, Pam. That was a great set of images.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
    www.mikeklarich.com
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited April 30, 2012
    fool4thecity wrote: »
    Spoonbills are amazing birds, sorry to see one with a hole in its bills. Hope that's not from a bullet... Thanks for sharing, Pam. That was a great set of images.<!--?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /--><o:p></o:p>

    Thanks, Mike. I hope that the holes were not from a bullet either, but I couldn't think of another ready explanation. At least the bird seemed healthy and not malnourished. Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited May 1, 2012
    MakeMeShutter wrote: »
    Lovely captures!
    I hope to one day see these in the wild.
    We have them at the local zoo, and they are one of my favorites!
    Another thing to add to my bucket list! <--- this list seems to be growing!

    They are my favorite birds to photograph--so colorful, and not a bit shy. Thanks for the comment! Best, Pam
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