Heron "DANCE" poster

ginger_55

What are they doing? Female? is in the middle, the bird on the ends is the same bird. He really did a fancy number and would have won on any bird dancing reality show. Is this mating? Or is it territorial?

ginger, thanks for looking and if you comment, well thanks on that, too.

davidryan

Ginger--

On my family's farm in Pennsylvania, we have this pond that herons frequent. They're so majestic in their movements. I've never seen them dance before. Who knows-- maybe its a courtship thing. On the other hand, you take a lot of photos of these birds-- maybe they know you by sight. Could be they're getting jiggy with it to give Ginger a show BTW-- I love how you frame your subjects-- gives a great final touch to your beautiful photos.

livinginoz

the series is stunning, ginger, and i love the poster look. congrats.

Thusie

Love the poster look Ginger, really cool shots

rahmonster

Oh wow Ginger I really love this one!! Great workthumb

4labs

Glad to see you are feeling better after your fall. Beautiful work Ginger.

Rohirrim

Lovely picture Ginger. While I am certainly no expert on GBH I believe that you were witnessing part of a courtship display.

The following quote is from Birds of North America Online (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/).

Communicative interactions
The rich repertory of courtship displays at the nest are described below (see Behavior: sexual); displays in this section described by Bayer (1984b). The most spectacular display given by herons on the foraging grounds is the “Upright and Spread Wing” display given when two herons approach one another; neck is nearly fully extended and tilted slightly over the back, head and bill are held above horizontal, wrists are drooped or held away from the body exposing the black shoulder patch of the adult. Sometimes wing nearest the opponent is drooped lower than the opposite wing and body plumes are erected. As opponents approach one another, head and bill are raised closer to the vertical and the neck extended farther over the back. These displays usually cause the two herons to move apart but occasionally bring a chase. This display is sometimes directed towards gulls (Larus sp.), Great Egrets (Casmerodius albus), and even people.
A less spectacular display on the foraging grounds is the “Vertical” display (Bayer 1984b). A heron performing this display sleeks its plumage, extends the neck forward at about a 45°, and tilts the head along its axis so its eyes alternately direct upwards. This behavior used when predators and herons fly at high altitudes over the foraging grounds. The “Forward and Full Forward” display entails partly folding the neck with the bill facing the opponent and partly erecting the body plumes. From this position, an aggressor can thrust the bill at an opponent, although such attacks are not frequent. The Full Forward behavior, however, can result in serious injury and even the death of an opponent (Forbes and McMackin 1984). “Bill duels,” in which opponents alternately attempt to grab each other’s head ( Fig. 2c), occur during some Full Forward displays. “Circle Flights” involve a heron taking flight with the neck extended and parallel to or below the axis of the body; used by territorial herons along boundaries and by nonterritorial herons pursuing one another. In the “Arched Neck” display the neck is fully extended above or parallel to the body axis with a down-curve in the distal portion; used by territorial herons after preening, stretching, or long periods of inactivity, during short flights within a territory, while walking and wading, and while flying to a roost or colony site. Also used by herons in pursuit flight, when flying from an approaching heron or predator, or when supplanted by another individual. Displays on the foraging grounds may be analogous to displays at the nest (R. Bayer pers. comm.). Communicative interactions between chicks and their parents need study.

Harryb

Excellent series Ginger.

Steve Cavigliano

Ginger,
All 3 shots are very, very good Nice color, contrast and razor sharp. I like your poster idea too

Being the right-brained person I am, my mind suggests putting the rightmost pic in the middle. Sort of balancing the 2 other profile poses. Maybe even flip the canvas horizontally (Image>Rotate Canvas>Flip Canvas Horiz.) on the pic you move to the right. So you'd have the left bird facing middle, the yodeling one...lol.. in the middle and the rightmost bird facing middle too. Too cliche?

It is very nice as is too. My suggestions were intended to get folks thinking a little Especially myself....lol

Nice stuff Ging

Steve

ginger_55

Thanks everyone! Strange that was a grey windy day, not fit for man nor beast. At first it appeared no birds were stirring.

I not only got these, I have some others I should work up, too. These, this dance, it was the most interesting to me.

Thanks, Rohirrim, for looking up that info for me. I should bookmark the site.

I have been following and appreciate everyone's comments.

thanks so much,

ginger (I really thought that all the mating stuff went on in the spring. I never dreamed that it would be a December thing, too. I kind of thought it must be a mating dance as the one bird, the one in the center, thanks for your thoughts, Steve, but that one bird was so "demure" and "ladylike" compared to the outgoing flashy "dancer". He eventually flew off.)