No time to think about this shot.
When a Great Blue is circling around a swamp there are blind spots, places blocked to Moss/Trees/Stuff. A bird can pretty much suddenly appear from one of these…right in front of you.
He did just that.
A Close Pass, Great Blue
…..wow
Awesome shot, I just read your post of the Tale of Two Herons. That was so interesting to see the photos of their nest. I have never seen a rookery. The birds seem to big to be in those nest. The nest are probably bigger than they look in the photo. I did not know the Egrets would attack the Herons.
The nests never seem big enough to me either 🙂 Egrets are a rather unpleasant bird around a rookery. They will run from a large adult Heron, but kill the juveniles. Unfortunately at some point both adults must leave young to bring enough food. The adults wait until the chicks are bigger, but Egrets will (and do) kill juveniles. Anhinga will kill Egrets, it’s a struggle in a rookery sometimes.
Is it a territory thing, are the Egrets wanting the nest, or they just do it. They seem so much smaller then the young herons. I only saw Egrets when I was in Florida, I don’t know much about either bird. I don’t think either one is in Iowa. I am not sure though.
A Great Egret is bigger than a juvenile heron. I think the issues are territorial, competition for food, and Egrets really are nasty birds, even to their mates. Beautiful birds but…
Good information, I did not know that, I see a few of your pictures with both birds in them. And in Florida they were both at the docks. But the Herons seemed to rule the area and would chase them away. I had to go back to your older post, Uninvited guest, spoonbill. I remember seeing the Egret on the branch with Cormorants and spoonbill, so I was thinking the Egret was interrupting nap time. But after reading it again, it was the other way around. I learn so much from your post. Thank you.
The Egrets you have seen, and with the Spoonbills, are Snowy Egrets. A smaller bird. The larger Egrets are Great Egrets and more in line with a Great Blue Heron.
Thank you, that helps to define those pictures on who is who. I will remember that.
And the true trick to getting a shot like that, when a bird quickly flushes and appears in front of you, is to already have the right settings on the camera! Since you mention moss and trees, I’m sure the tendency in low light is slow shutter speed. So either you were prepared for this shot, or quickly changed your shutter speed. Most quick shots like that show motion blur. So great work there! Absolutely beautiful bird!!!! William — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104 The Message
Thank you. I shoot most times with a faster shutter speed, and have 2 other settings quickly available on the camera. Of course all the plans in the world fall through out there most of the time LOL. I do this full time so I have enormous numbers of failed shots 😂😂