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The Great Blue Heron

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Okreb

Okreb

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The largest and the toughest wetland bird here in Florida is the Great Blue Heron. They face up to the other birds and even alligators. There is a one-eyed gator in the nearby Everglades who tangled with a GBH and lost an eye in the process.

Here are a few photos taken at a Wakodahatchee Wetland Photo Workshop today.

Having Lunch



A Pair Looking for Food



A GBH Suddenly Becomes a Ballet Dancer in the following images:







Finally, a GBH and chick in their nest.



--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Wonderful, Milt. Tell us about the photo workshop. Was this a class?

--
Lois Ann
E-1, 14-54mm, 11-22mm, 50-200mm, EC14
Used to have: C-765UZ, SP500UZ, MCON 40, TCON 17
Photography: 'Freezing photons for the future.' or 'Capturing a story in light.'
 
Lois Ann said:
Wonderful, Milt. Tell us about the photo workshop. Was this a class?

--
Lois Ann
E-1, 14-54mm, 11-22mm, 50-200mm, EC14
Used to have: C-765UZ, SP500UZ, MCON 40, TCON 17
Photography: 'Freezing photons for the future.' or 'Capturing a story
in light.'
Click to expand...
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands were closed to the general public this morning. There were two workshops, one from 6:30 am to 9:00 am and the second from 8:30 to 11 am. I was in the second group. We were led by a very knowledgeable professional nature photographer, who has been photographing birds all over the state for over 20 years. She uses Canon equipment. I was only one using an Olympus. There were a few Nikons, Canon, a Panasonic Lumix and a MInolta plus about 3-4 little P&S cameras.

We went where the action was - basically two areas where Anhingas and Great Blue Herons were nesting and photographed them. I usually set my camera for AP at f/8 or f/10 but she asked me to try shooting SP at 1/400 sec. and that is how these photos were made.

She emphasized 1. reading for a mid-tone, 2. f-stops 3. Shutter speeds.
Direction of light: front, side, back, top and silhouettes.
Weather conditions: clear, bright, overcast, etc.
Elements of Composition: Shapes - repetition & variation, Color, Details.
And, in the wetlands - be observant and be ready.

Also, when shooting wildlife, shutter speed priority - stopping motion or panning
For Landscapes and close-ups Aperture Priority - more depth of field.

After shooting for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, we went indoors to an office building where a computer was set up with a card reader and projector, where we critiqued the efforts of the 15 participants. I filled a 2gb card with 300 images. There will be other workshops for the rest of this month on some Wednesdays and Saturdays.
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Your birds seem to find all the fish they need.

I like the first and last shots.

So a GBH nailed an alligator? Tough bird! I heard of one that killed a biologist, driving its beak right into his heart.
--
Steve

 
mnstoryteller said:
Your birds seem to find all the fish they need.

I like the first and last shots.

So a GBH nailed an alligator? Tough bird! I heard of one that killed
a biologist, driving its beak right into his heart.
--
Steve

Click to expand...
The story of a GBH killing a handler is true. It occurred here in Florida in the Everglades about two years ago when a Fish & Wildlife worker was tending to an injured bird and the bird mistook his efforts, felt threatened and stabbed the poor guy to death.

Regarding the first and last images; we spent about an hour at two GBH nests observing and waiting for the moment. When the bird is feeding and then wipes its beak, that is a sign that it is through dining, so you look for other details then.
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Okreb said:
The largest and the toughest wetland bird here in Florida is the
Great Blue Heron. They face up to the other birds and even
alligators. There is a one-eyed gator in the nearby Everglades who
tangled with a GBH and lost an eye in the process.
Here are a few photos taken at a Wakodahatchee Wetland Photo Workshop
today.
Having Lunch
A Pair Looking for Food
A GBH Suddenly Becomes a Ballet Dancer in the following images:
Finally, a GBH and chick in their nest.
Click to expand...
looks like about every existing bird lives in your area, lol!

Must be great to have so many shooting opportunities around, even better if it is such beautiful birds!
Again, very good shots, Milt!

Not very often that I can see these big birds over here!

And winter looks quite pleasant in your place!

Wakodahatchee - old Indian name?

René
 
René Schuster said:
looks like about every existing bird lives in your area, lol!

Must be great to have so many shooting opportunities around, even
better if it is such beautiful birds!
Again, very good shots, Milt!

Not very often that I can see these big birds over here!

And winter looks quite pleasant in your place!

Wakodahatchee - old Indian name?

René
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind remarks. Yes, we are fortunate to have thousands of birds living here in south Florida, especially at this time of year.

The name, Wakodahatchee, has an interesting history. It is derived from the Seminole Indian Language and translates as "created waters." The created waters at Wakodahatchee Wetlands are an example of people giving something back to nature. Fifty acres of unused utilities land have been transformed into a wetlands ecosystem.

I spent time in your country in 1945-47 in the US Army mainly in the area from Stuttgart to Ulm. Great memories.
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Milt, those are excellent images. I really like the two of the nesting. I'm almost afraid to ask how the parent feeds fish to the chicks. Must not be feeding the whole fish.

I'll have to quit chasing those GBH around Morro Bay! Wow, We've never gotten very close from our kayaks but it sounds like that's a good thing. The beak sounds brutal. We saw at least one GBH up in central Oregon in late December on a very cold river. It was snowing and ice was forming. The bird hung out along the bank for a long time and then flew off down the river.

And the dance is a great image. Looks like he's posturing for other birds, or an aligator.
--
Dave
Underwater Photographer w/ E-3 & C-8080
http://whaleshark.smugmug.com
 
dave gaines said:
Milt, those are excellent images. I really like the two of the
nesting. I'm almost afraid to ask how the parent feeds fish to the
chicks. Must not be feeding the whole fish.
I'll have to quit chasing those GBH around Morro Bay! Wow, We've
never gotten very close from our kayaks but it sounds like that's a
good thing. The beak sounds brutal. We saw at least one GBH up in
central Oregon in late December on a very cold river. It was snowing
and ice was forming. The bird hung out along the bank for a long time
and then flew off down the river.
And the dance is a great image. Looks like he's posturing for other
birds, or an aligator.
--
Dave
Underwater Photographer w/ E-3 & C-8080
http://whaleshark.smugmug.com
Click to expand...
Thank you for your welcomed comments. I appreciate your opinion. The bird eats the fish and regurgitates the food to the chicks. The Anhinga, on the other hand, keeps the food in its craw and the chick inserts its head into the parent's mouth to eat.

What looks like a dance is a feeding technique called "shading". The bird feels the bottom of the water with one foot and spreads its wings to shade the area to attract fish. And then, Dinner!
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Hi Milt.

I not only envy your choice of camera gear, but also your life style.

Nice pictures, both here and with your past postings.

I would bet that you are a welcome addition to your class at the refuge. The teacher and the pupli sort of thing.

I also find your interest in the background of your subjects very interesting.

Paul
 
PaulM2 said:
Hi Milt.

I not only envy your choice of camera gear, but also your life style.

Nice pictures, both here and with your past postings.

I would bet that you are a welcome addition to your class at the
refuge. The teacher and the pupli sort of thing.

I also find your interest in the background of your subjects very
interesting.

Paul
Click to expand...
Thank you for your kind remarks. I am in my eighties. My wife and best friend passed away about 2 1/2 years ago and I closed my business earlier this year so now that I have nothing but time, my "job" is taking pictures. I try to go to various sites here in south Florida (and there are loads of them) to photograph at least 3-4 times a week. I am continuing a life-long hobby that began many years ago with a Voightlander Brilliant Twin Lens Reflex. My latest film camera, which I used until this Spring, is an OM2.

I went digital in July with the E-510 and lenses that I purchased. I'm still learning how to use the camera and have a long way to go. But I'm happy with my lifestyle - photography and golf. My health is good and I'm having a ball.
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
Sounds like fun and a great way to learn! What a great opportunity. Looking forward to more photos and more insight from the workshops.

What did you think about the relative quality of your shots compared to some of the others?
--
Lois Ann
E-1, 14-54mm, 11-22mm, 50-200mm, EC14
Used to have: C-765UZ, SP500UZ, MCON 40, TCON 17
Photography: 'Freezing photons for the future.' or 'Capturing a story in light.'
 
Lois Ann said:
Sounds like fun and a great way to learn! What a great opportunity.
Looking forward to more photos and more insight from the workshops.

What did you think about the relative quality of your shots compared
to some of the others?
--
Lois Ann
E-1, 14-54mm, 11-22mm, 50-200mm, EC14
Used to have: C-765UZ, SP500UZ, MCON 40, TCON 17
Photography: 'Freezing photons for the future.' or 'Capturing a story
in light.'
Click to expand...
Lois Ann, I have signed up for another Workshop on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 am., this time with another leader. We start early to catch the glow of the dawn's light. As for the quality of my shots in comparison to others, some were better, some worse, but on balance I thought that my output and two others, were the "best". Remember, there were a few P&S camera users there.

Present at the critiques portion of the Workshop was the Senior PR Specialist of the County Water Utilities Dept., which created the two wetlands. He expressed a desire to use some of my bird images in their website as they were better than theirs and/or missing from their catalog.

Here are the links to the sites:

http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/
http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/waterfacts/green_cay.htm
--
Milt

Author of 'Brain Surgery - Self Taught'
http://picasaweb.google.com/okreb1

 
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