Certainly not an award winner here yet even getting this type of photograph is not an easy thing. Anhinga built nests in the same rookeries as Herons and Egrets. However, they start around the time Egrets have almost settled in.
That small difference in time frame makes for problems. The trees are starting to leaf out.
Once that starts there are few open opportunities for a clear photograph.
Many times I ignore the big shadows passing by. More often than not it’s a Vulture searching the area.
Sometimes it’s not.
He was focused on more important things. I never did see what it was though.
He dropped down to the water behind a Cypress Tree, grabbed something, and was gone.
All the old excuses…bad light, angle, etc.
But hey, they have triplets.
I actually caught the bird. I am completely surprised. I had no time to think since I spotted him at the last moment.
Now, what you don’t see. The other 10 really badly missed images, LOL. If I wasn’t using a wildlife setup even this wouldn’t be here.
When you hear the old ‘gear doesn’t count’, they probably don’t go out to the ‘boonies’ very often.
Always nice to catch an Egret flying down low. In these shots the swamp reflections bounced back on the bird.
Photographing the bounce back is all about location and angle. So really, planning no, luck yes.
He was sitting on the ramp drying, in a safe spot. Something caught his eye, fish maybe?
Never went to catch anything though. Perhaps what he saw was a lot bigger than a fish.
Yellowlegs are not particularly choosy over where they get food. Give them a stretch of water they can stand in and they are happy.
There are two types, but they look almost identical. The bill length is the main difference.
They live all along the coasts of the US and Canada. A marsh, swamp, beach, all water with food.
At times they will stand in the same spot and bob their head, over and over. The original ‘booble head’.
Other small wading birds look almost the same, and mix with them in flocks. When out shooting we usually just call them ‘shore birds’ and worry about details later. Way too confusing.
Photographed in ACE Basin, South Carolina.
