great-blue-landing

Wetland Photography Tour – For the Birds

We most always see wading birds, and this trip was no different, except that one particular Great Blue Heron decided to entertain us.  As we were leaving the swamp, this friendly bird escorted us out–literally. He flew a distance ahead of us and landed on the bank, stood long enough for us to snap his photo before taking flight and landing again on the bank, waiting for us to catch up. One of the ladies called it “bird harassing”, but I don’t see it that way.  It was as though he wanted us to capture him in all his glory. Great Blues don’t usually let you get very close, and rarely do they stand still long enough for a photo that allows time to focus in and even capture their golden eyes.  If you look closely, I think you might see his eye in one of these photos.  Although an everyday sight down here, I never tire of watching them come and go, all grace and beauty on the wing. Now, I get to share those moments with you! I particularly like the photos that capture the varying colors of the marsh grasses in the fall, as in the second photo.  Those same colors really stand out against the sky and clouds in the third photo. I hope you see something you like.

For the birds,

BW

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply to shoreacres Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

25 Comments

  1. Great series! I especially like the “Blue Landing” – perfectly timed shot.
    Something about the Cormorant Silhouette is also striking…not often ye see a solitary one on a branch!

    1. Thank you, Capt.! Pure luck, really, as all I had time to do under the circumstances was basically point and shoot and hope for the best, but maybe a good photographer never tells those things, lOL!

      1. I think you should have a contest. The prize… choice of photos AND of course I should win! You know which one I want already. LOL!

  2. Aye Capt. W, you come up and ice fish with me a few days and I can get you to handfeed these skittish blue herons. Well they come up within arms reach almost. I wish the US government would cancel that stupid cormorant treaty so we could take them out. Messy ugly birds that destroy habitat and fisheries.

    Feeling way better today than week ago.

    1. So glad you’re feeling better than last week. Thanks for the invite, but I will never get that close to a blue heron. A local man tried to help one escape that was storm-driven onto a drilling rig, and when he got close the bird literally pecked his eye out. After a couple surgeries he still can’t see. So, be careful, they go for the eyes!!!!

  3. Your photos get better and better. Love the Great Blues. An especially good capture on the landing blue- frame that one fo
    r your wall.

    1. Thanks, MM. For those reading here, Moura is quite the outdoor photographer, and she now has at least one of her gator photos on the wall of a welcome center near lafayatte, LA. MM, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong on location! She’s the creator of a FB page called Acadiana at Home where she shares lots of interesting things about south La. including some of her photos.

    1. Thanks, Kim. I always think of you when we get into the swamp. I was watching for fall migratory birds, too. Saw lots of Easter Kings yesterday!

  4. They’re all great photos of one of my favorite birds. Around here, they’re not that hard to get close to. There’s one that has shown up three years in a row on the west end of Galveston Island, nagging the surf fishermen to flip him a fish. Of course, that’s a different situation. There are a lot of people, and the birds get used to them. Not only that, the birds are smart enough to train the people!

    1. I wonder, though, if someone tried to touch one if it would bite the hand that feeds, so to speak!!! Oh, yes, the birds have indeed trained those folks! We saw quite a few blues yesterday on another tour, but none of them got close enough to photograph. We just never know what we’re going to get on these tours! Always a photographic gamble, but the landscapes are still so gorgeous right now with the bluebird sky as the backdrop. I’m ready for you to plan that trip east . . . maybe for the spring beauty?

  5. Oh, what glorious pictures! My favorite is ‘Landing-Blue’. Just look at the fine feathering above his tail feathers you captured. It looks like it’s combed into a duck tail. He spread out just for you. Bird Whisperer.

    Capt. Wendy, you truly have a magnificent eye and feel for what you love. And for our joy, you always inspire, leaving us to anticipate what’s to come.

  6. What sweet words, Kaye. You give me way too much credit though. I guess I have this idea that every printable photo was exact and purposeful, meaning, it came out exactly as the photographer planned, calculated, set the camera just right, and because I’m not that kind of photographer yet, mine are always the result of luck and chance! Somehow, I don’t feel I can be as proud of luck and chance photos as those well planned and executed “on purpose”!!! Anyway, it’s fun being out there this time of year with the changing colors of the marsh grass and the beautiful weather, and I do love it!

      1. Re: Trout. Well, let me know when they are. Maybe the Satsumas will be mature by then. Not that I’m fond of cold weather, but a frost would do wonders. They are like eating a lemon tight now.

        1. My local gardener said his Satsumas will be ready in two weeks, so I’m sure we are a little ahead of you, so it’s not surprising yours aren’t ready yet! We caught one trout after searching the entire lake and throwing almost everything in the tackle box at them, including dead shrimp! Didn’t even catch a red or a cat! But the wetland tour portion of our day was fantastic!

          1. Please remember to remember blu when satsumas get ripe. Also remember the $3 bags are seedless and the $2 bags are full of seeds. I knew I should have bought Golden Meadows grove.

            Last few days were rather bleak again. Getting another run thru in am then probably advised to drink more eat more be happy and things and stuff. Still a few days left to celebrate October and get checked for Mr C.