Balcony Heron

[ianmiddy]

[Apologies to those who may have seen these on Dyxum & DPR_KM - but I was pleased with 'em !]

A visitor to the balcony next door when we stayed in the Norfolk Broads in June - shot with Sony A100 & Minolta 300/2.8:





and just for interest - a 100% crop from the first image - oh, how I love that 300/2.8 !



Cheers

IDM

[David Kilpatrick]

I take it your were not sitting out there barbequeing small fish or anything like that? He looks big enough to take a sandwich without worrying much about the owner!

David

[ianmiddy]

I take it your were not sitting out there barbequeing small fish or anything like that? He looks big enough to take a sandwich without worrying much about the owner!

Actually, David, I think it may have been a 'youngster' - certainly not as big as some we saw on the riverbanks, and it seemed to spend a lot of its time staring at its reflection in nearby patio doors & windows ! - we overlooked a couple of small mooring marinas and I think it used the balcony as a good fishing perch...

It first visited in the morning, & I only had the 75-300D on the cam, but got this one after I crept closer:



Fairly sharp, but the OOF is not as nice as the 2.8 [but then, it only cost 1/10 as much] - when it came back in the evening I took a chance and went to get the 2.8 - after getting close for the shots above, I moved back for a longer shot:



Pity the background wasn't a bit more 'natural', but for cloesups like those I'm not complaining...

...it happily sat there for about 30mins whilst I pointed that great white tube at it, and my sister got even closer to get a good shot with her Canon A540 !

I just wish I'd known we had a tin of sardines we could have tried to tempt it closer with - could have tried my Sig 180 macro for a REAL closeup, lol...

Cheers

IDM

[Greg Beetham]

I'ts quite interesting too see those shots actually and compare, we have a very similar Heron here in Oz, although I only see it occasionally along the muddy mangrove banks, (when I go fishing that is) it's usually outnumbered 10 to 1 by Egrets etc. the only difference I can see looking in my Pizzy & Night is your one has a white stripe on the top of it's head (our one is all black on top) and your one has a black patch on the sholder that's absent in ours, but everything else looks the same that I can see, the bill shape and colour, the eye, the little tan section in front of the eye, the black and white marks down the center front, the colour of the wings..
Good captures, btw.
Greg