Watch for the bent knee, then the slight lean forward.
You can only get these shots for a short time each year.
After a while you know the signs of a ‘launch’, even then they fool you.
They jump into space, confident, not a second thought.
This is a very rare Eagle. While he looks like most others he has a special talent. He’s boring, very boring. I mean really, Eagles create excitement just by being ‘Eagles’.
This one, not so much.
He looks regal and has that unique scowl.
I’m sure he has all the standard Eagle traits. Just not while in this tree.
Here he lands, looks left, looks right, falls asleep, stays asleep.
Photographers see him, take a gazzilion images. And they all look like these.
Eventually he is left alone to nap.
There is a bright side!
Out of town photographers visiting the plantation here can see him easily. They run over and have a great story and image to take home.
They keep my taxes low.
This image did not fit on the header since it’s a 4×3 format.
This series captured one of the first interactions between this pair. The nest has not been started yet. And notice in the following series the female holding her head high and calling out.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery. The interaction here is special.
If he was trying to impress her this probably worked. Lucky he didn’t take her head off with it!
Do they know when to bring a big stick and when to carry in twigs?
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
Not far from the rookery we photograph is a different type of swamp. The water is shallow in most places and covered with greens. Herons don’t nest here, but the hunting is pretty good.
This water flows down into the rookery so most of the birds, and of course Alligators, frequent here.
This particular Heron was chasing another away as I took these shots. He was low, at eye level, so the images take on a different perspective.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
He made a little twist while gliding in, it was just enough to have him fill the view finder as he flew by. It’s nice if you’re just standing there, but getting focus, it’s not so nice.
It was late on a dreary day which can also be really bad for big lens focus.
In general this was the type of shot that is easily missed, and usually are.
As Herons return to their nests their final approach is to stretch and glide, slowing as they get close.
This is when they have the look of ‘Dragons’.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
