when egrets attack

jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
edited April 12, 2005 in Wildlife
normally, i wouldnt touch a topic so well covered by very talented people, but i thought this was just wild...

studying for my board exams was driving me nuts, so i decided to try out my 200 2.8 early this morning. i was working on some BIFs when i came across this Great Egret (Ardea alba).

19354556-L.jpg

i've seen this bird before, but it usually takes off before i can get anywhere near it. this morning it was flying between two ends of the pond and let me get pretty close to it.

19354535-L.jpg

after a bit i saw what it was after...

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it kept going after a group of three newborn ducklings. here are the photos i have processed thus far...i'll post more later if i have time.
19354575-L.jpg

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19354578-L.jpg

the mother went to great lengths to protect the babies...

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19347993-L.jpg

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sorry for the blown highlightsne_nau.gif i was pretty amazed by what was happening in front of me...forgot some of the technical aspects...

i know ginger will be wondering...there were still 3 babies after this attack, but i cant say what happened after i left. thanks for lookingthumb.gif

-jeff
www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


Comments

  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited April 10, 2005
    Super series Jeff!! Nicely done thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif


    My only advice would be to shoot egrets using RAW. Yeah, it limits your bursts to 6 shots, but the latitude you get during post, more than makes up for it, IMO.


    Thanks for sharing these and I was glad to read that the 3 ducklings were safe for the moment :uhoh

    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    :wow :wow :wow most amazing series thumb.gif
    So lucky again to have been there with ye old camera clap.gif
    Might crop a few to get in tighter to the action, cause there some slam bang action going on.
    Great Work thumb.gif
    Benjamin
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  • USAIRUSAIR Registered Users Posts: 2,646 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Jeff
    Wow those are some great shots
    Survival of the fitest:duel

    Thanks
    Fred
    http://www.riverbendphotos.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
  • ShakeyShakey Registered Users Posts: 1,004 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Great shots and I see the 200 2.8 is in good hands.
    You like?

    Tim
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Super series Jeff!! Nicely done thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif


    My only advice would be to shoot egrets using RAW. Yeah, it limits your bursts to 6 shots, but the latitude you get during post, more than makes up for it, IMO.


    Thanks for sharing these and I was glad to read that the 3 ducklings were safe for the moment :uhoh

    Steve
    thanks steve! your right, RAW would have been the call on these shots. i wish i had thought of it...everything just sort of happened...and fast. thats one thing about changing cameras--it takes a bit of time to get to that quickdraw state with the settings. i imagine it will come pretty fast with the 20d...love that wheel.

    j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    bfjr wrote:
    :wow :wow :wow most amazing series thumb.gif
    So lucky again to have been there with ye old camera clap.gif
    Might crop a few to get in tighter to the action, cause there some slam bang action going on.
    Great Work thumb.gif
    thanks ben. good call on the crops! i'll recheck the photos and see if i can get a bit closer...

    glad you liked the seriesthumb.gif


    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • Lucky HackLucky Hack Registered Users Posts: 594 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Great shots Jeff, you may have to give up your post as mayor of Noobville after that series...

    hoping this message finds you well -Ian
    Chance favors the prepared mind. -Louis Pasteur
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    USAIR wrote:
    Wow those are some great shots
    Survival of the fitest:duel

    Thanks
    Fred

    10-4 on that one fred. there was a lady watching the whole thing from the other side of the pond. poor thing was beside herself...reminded me of how my grandmother would have reacted...she was about to start throwing rocks or something. then i would have had 3 subjects to shooticon10.gif
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Shakey wrote:
    Great shots and I see the 200 2.8 is in good hands.
    You like?

    Tim
    loving the 200 timthumb.gif i do need to remember that the zoom is now my feet...found myself out of position a few times. the extra stop is sooooo nice to have. now to bring up that 1.4x converter to the wife (CFO)Whip.gif
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Lucky Hack wrote:
    Great shots Jeff, you may have to give up your post as mayor of Noobville after that series...

    hoping this message finds you well -Ian

    thanks Ian! maybe i can move to the Noobville city counsel...i still very much belong thereicon10.gif

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Excellent series Jeffthumb.gif
    My Smuggy

    Cincinnati Smug Leader
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    really really fine! i enjoyed them very much, and one of the top contributions to egret-fest, no doubt!

    as steve said, raw'll let you recover some highlights, but you can also improve by shooting even jpg at -2/3s ec... give it a try thumb.gif

    thanks for sharing.
    Andy

    Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    great
    what a capture thumb.gif great work with camera and the timing food it the driving force fantastic set Jeff clap.gifclap.gif Jeff
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Amazing series Jeff. Great work. ylsuper.gif
    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!"
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    andy wrote:
    really really fine! i enjoyed them very much, and one of the top contributions to egret-fest, no doubt!

    as steve said, raw'll let you recover some highlights, but you can also improve by shooting even jpg at -2/3s ec... give it a try thumb.gif

    thanks for sharing.

    thanks for looking and thanks for the tips *writes in good photography advice notebook*

    but most of all, thanks for turning me on to Dgrinthumb.gif (you may not remember that email, but thanks anywaysicon10.gif)

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2005
    Harryb wrote:
    Amazing series Jeff. Great work. ylsuper.gif
    thanks harry! have you ever heard of egrets eating other birds? i dont kow much about them, but i was under the impression that they mostly eat fish...
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    jeff lapoint wrote:
    thanks harry! have you ever heard of egrets eating other birds? i dont kow much about them, but i was under the impression that they mostly eat fish...
    Me, too. We have ducks in the water at the swamp where I am shooting. Maybe that is a psychotic egret, I love that you were shooting the bird. I had to laugh towards the end, but I love hearing about the little old lady, too.

    You know our birds are very busy with their marital duties right now. Maybe that bird just has too much time on his hands.

    ginger (How many baby ducks were there at the beginning? Poor babies.)
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    ginger_55 wrote:
    Me, too. We have ducks in the water at the swamp where I am shooting. Maybe that is a psychotic egret, I love that you were shooting the bird. I had to laugh towards the end, but I love hearing about the little old lady, too.

    You know our birds are very busy with their marital duties right now. Maybe that bird just has too much time on his hands.

    ginger (How many baby ducks were there at the beginning? Poor babies.)
    ginger,

    thanks for looking! 3 babies to begin with and when i left there were still 3...

    -j
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    jeff lapoint wrote:
    thanks harry! have you ever heard of egrets eating other birds? i dont kow much about them, but i was under the impression that they mostly eat fish...
    Egrets usually eat fish because they are the right size. Ducklings are the right size for them also.
    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!"
  • ysr612ysr612 Registered Users Posts: 148 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    the mag from the natural history mus of New York had piece on the American Egret (now greater Egret) and Great Blue Heron rookeries. It seems the Egrets eat a lot more of thier own young as well.:uhoh
  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    Everyone is going to be a lot safer once we kill ALL the egrets.
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited April 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Everyone is going to be a lot safer once we kill ALL the egrets.
    rolleyes1.gif

    :giggle lol3.gif :nono :lol4 blbl.gif :lol
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    Humungus wrote:
    Everyone is going to be a lot safer once we kill ALL the egrets.
    Seesh, so they eat cute little ducklings and their own young once in a while. Its a bird eat bird world out there. 2ar15smilie.gif
    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!"
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    Wow, great series
    I'm so glad you posted these -- blown out or not, cropped or not, I've never seen this and it was so interesting to see!
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • jeff lapointjeff lapoint Registered Users Posts: 1,228 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2005
    Dee wrote:
    I'm so glad you posted these -- blown out or not, cropped or not, I've never seen this and it was so interesting to see!
    thanks for the encouragement dee!

    it really makes me want to get back out there and try again.thumb.gif

    -jeff
    www.lapiz007.smugmug.com


  • aero-nutaero-nut Registered Users Posts: 693 Major grins
    edited April 12, 2005
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    rolleyes1.gif

    :giggle lol3.gif :nono :lol4 blbl.gif :lol

    15524779-Ti.gif
    -Kendall

    http://www.desertshadowphoto.com
    http://aero-nut.smugmug.com
  • SusanBSusanB Registered Users Posts: 281 Major grins
    edited April 12, 2005
    jeff lapoint wrote:
    normally, i wouldnt touch a topic so well covered by very talented people, but i thought this was just wild...

    studying for my board exams was driving me nuts, so i decided to try out my 200 2.8 early this morning. i was working on some BIFs when i came across this Great Egret (Ardea alba).



    i've seen this bird before, but it usually takes off before i can get anywhere near it. this morning it was flying between two ends of the pond and let me get pretty close to it.



    after a bit i saw what it was after...


    it kept going after a group of three newborn ducklings. here are the photos i have processed thus far...i'll post more later if i have time.

    the mother went to great lengths to protect the babies...
    sorry for the blown highlightsne_nau.gif i was pretty amazed by what was happening in front of me...forgot some of the technical aspects...

    i know ginger will be wondering...there were still 3 babies after this attack, but i cant say what happened after i left. thanks for lookingthumb.gif

    -jeff
    Wow, that was amazing.:wow Blown highlights never once entered my mind as I was looking at the pix. Nice job.thumb.gif Glad the chicks survived the attack.:uhoh

    Susan

    Susan
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