Back on the Gulf Coast for some vacation time, which means shooting for me!! Pulled a rookie mistake on my first day here. I walked out of a cool, air conditioned room into a 75 degree, very humid morning. The camera instantly fogged up and stayed that way for over an hour until it came up to temperature. Sure glad I didn’t have a client with me!
But the second day was a little better. I got a chance to shoot some birds on a stick. For a wildlife photographer, especially a bird person, that means shooting birds in their natural habitat but in a very common pose. Like sitting on a log, perched on a stick, etc. You get the idea. Nice pics but nothing you haven’t seen before. Below are some examples. Click on the images to enlarge.
All the way to Floride for a pic of a Wood Duck!
Juvenile white Ibis…..
Green Heron
With a common bird like a green heron, you try and get something a little different. Maybe catching a fish, or perched somewhere unusual. I was able to get some nice bokeh behind the bird in this one by using an aperture of f/2.8, which totally blurs the background and highlights the bird.
I did find one unusual bird this morning though, a Yellow Crowned Night Heron. I have plenty of pics of the Black Crowned Night Heron, but this was my first opportunity at the yellow crowned. Normally you find them tucked way back in the brush and unable to get a shot at them, like the pic below.
He knows I’m watching!
But this guy was trying to impress his sweetie so eventually he came out and showed himself, but he was still very wary about anything strange in the area, like me!
He’s stylin’ for the ladies!!!!
He kept a careful watch for his girlfriend but she wasn’t impressed. He was all dressed up with no place to go! His girlfriend wasn’t buying it so he thought that he would impress her by bringing her a stick!
Waiting and hoping….
But alas, it just was not to be. He left shortly after to search for the love of his life…..
I also had some wonderful Bald Cypress trees across the pond on the far bank that would make interesting compositions so I tried a couple shots with a Tri Colored Heron and a juvenile Blue Heron. They’re okay, but nothing to write home about. I will eventually get the composition I want with the Cypress trees!
An absolutely huge Cypress tree!!!!
A juvenile Little Blue Heron. The blue color slowly appears as they mature…..
A closeup of the little blue heron.
And so I think it’s fitting that I end up with a final “bird on a stick” picture. Hey, they’re not all Nat Geo winners!!!! All for now, stay tuned!