Show your Bird Portraits
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Thanks Click, Jack and rpt.
Jack, rpt was correct.
I use small pieces of bread that I toss in front of the heron at water's edge to attract the fish. Too far from the edge and he can't reach it (the fish know this and quickly attack the bread which is gone in a second). When I hit the mark within his reach near the water's edge, the fish are much more wary and often won't take the "bait". Then it's a waiting game between the hungry cautious fish and the heron. The smaller fish are more daring and dart in and out to take bites of the bread. The fish can see the heron hovering over the bread so I try not to get it too close to the heron. The heron makes multiple stabs near the bread when the fish rush in. Only occasionally do these attempts result in a catch for the heron. Mostly he gets small ones, but sometimes a slow or dumb big fish pays the ultimate price (often with the bread visible in the fish's mouth). When he catches a fish, he quickly retreats from the water's edge (and me), so that if he drops the fish, it won't get a chance to swim away. To get a close shot, I will chase him sometimes (I think he believes I might be after the fish also). He absolutely will not eat the bread, no matter how hungry. All the other birds I feed at the same time (ducks, moorhens, cardinals, bulbuls, mynah birds) really love eating the bread. The ducks will gang up on the heron and try to steal his bait bread, but will not cross a line about 1 foot from his sharp stabbing beak.
In this photo from yesterday, you can still see the piece of white bread in the fish's mouth.
Jack, rpt was correct.
I use small pieces of bread that I toss in front of the heron at water's edge to attract the fish. Too far from the edge and he can't reach it (the fish know this and quickly attack the bread which is gone in a second). When I hit the mark within his reach near the water's edge, the fish are much more wary and often won't take the "bait". Then it's a waiting game between the hungry cautious fish and the heron. The smaller fish are more daring and dart in and out to take bites of the bread. The fish can see the heron hovering over the bread so I try not to get it too close to the heron. The heron makes multiple stabs near the bread when the fish rush in. Only occasionally do these attempts result in a catch for the heron. Mostly he gets small ones, but sometimes a slow or dumb big fish pays the ultimate price (often with the bread visible in the fish's mouth). When he catches a fish, he quickly retreats from the water's edge (and me), so that if he drops the fish, it won't get a chance to swim away. To get a close shot, I will chase him sometimes (I think he believes I might be after the fish also). He absolutely will not eat the bread, no matter how hungry. All the other birds I feed at the same time (ducks, moorhens, cardinals, bulbuls, mynah birds) really love eating the bread. The ducks will gang up on the heron and try to steal his bait bread, but will not cross a line about 1 foot from his sharp stabbing beak.
In this photo from yesterday, you can still see the piece of white bread in the fish's mouth.
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Terry Rogers said:
Terry...very well done. Beautiful photo (especially since you had to shoot through a fence).
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stephan00 said:Let's get this back to the duck-motif
At the local university there's a nice pond with huge signs asking people not to feed the ducks and swans, which of course means that on the weekends graddaddys, daddys and retirees are virtually fighting to get a spot to feed the nice birdies.
Which is fine by me, so I can just sit and wait. Here are some from last Saturday, all with 5DIII and one of the whites, a couple bare lens, the rest with the 2xIII, and I can say that it is a very fine lens indeed
Stephan...love your duck series. Wonderful shots of some colorful birds. Shows some of their character.
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Thanks for the great explanation Serindipidy. That heron's got a good thing going. All the previous posted shots from everyone are great and some pretty entertaining!
Terry Rogers, we're neighbors almost (Ardrossan). Been doing any birding in the countryside?
Anyone, if you know please confirm, I think I've just shot my first Magnolia warbler.
6D 300 2.8 II X2 III 500th F13 ISO 1250
Jack
Terry Rogers, we're neighbors almost (Ardrossan). Been doing any birding in the countryside?
Anyone, if you know please confirm, I think I've just shot my first Magnolia warbler.
6D 300 2.8 II X2 III 500th F13 ISO 1250
Jack
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Click said:Jack Douglas said:
Yes Jack, it's a Magnolia Warbler.
+1...and congrats 8)
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More Heron fishing from today. Six duck pirates quickly raided us and refused to leave, stealing most of the bread. Heron still caught about 6 tilapia, 2 big ones. The biggest one he stabbed (I've never seen him stab a fish, before he always grabbed them like using chopsticks). It fought vigorously, getting away once, was quickly recaptured, and then, finally escaping back into the water.
7D, 100-400L, f/7.1, ISO 320, handheld
7D, 100-400L, f/7.1, ISO 320, handheld
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Hey Serendipidy, I hope your heron friend doesn't leave you! It'd be worse than a divorce or death in the family. I know how addicted to the pond I've become this summer and everything changes around here late October! Then there is almost nothing. 
Well not quite, there are always chickadees and nuthatches and woodpeckers but you freeze your fingers shooting.
You must have the world record for the best BCNHeron photos. Must be an awful lot of fish where you are too. Any worth photographing? Jumping fish??
Jack
I know how addicted to the pond I've become this summer and everything changes around here late October! Then there is almost nothing. Well not quite, there are always chickadees and nuthatches and woodpeckers but you freeze your fingers shooting.You must have the world record for the best BCNHeron photos. Must be an awful lot of fish where you are too. Any worth photographing? Jumping fish??
Jack
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Jack Douglas said:Hey Serendipidy, I hope your heron friend doesn't leave you! It'd be worse than a divorce or death in the family.
You must have the world record for the best BCNHeron photos. Must be an awful lot of fish where you are too. Any worth photographing? Jumping fish??
Jack
Thanks Jack. Here, we only have 2 seasons....raining and not raining. ;D
My house is on a drainage ditch which is usually about 2-3 feet deep and 15 feet wide. It is brackish since it eventually drains into a small lake and finally, the ocean. In the ditch, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of various sized Tilapia. I rarely see them jump (and could never get a photo of that) except when a larger fish, such as a barracuda (some live in the lake), is after them. The water is usually very murky and often also smells bad from decaying vegetation and all the fish pooping or dying.
On one of the clearer days, I will post a photo of the fish schools in the ditch.
I do not miss the cold winters of the central N. American continent.
Cheers
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Serendipity, thank you.
Jack Douglas. Love the Warbler. But alas, we are not neighbors. I'm from Surrey BC (just south of Vancouver). I was visiting relatives in Edmonton and we made a day of the zoo.
Jack Douglas. Love the Warbler. But alas, we are not neighbors. I'm from Surrey BC (just south of Vancouver). I was visiting relatives in Edmonton and we made a day of the zoo.
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+1Click said:serendipidy said:
Great pictures Serendipidy. 8) Keep doing photo of your heron friend. It's always a pleasure to look at them.
Serendipity, I have a couple of questions:
[list type=decimal]
[*]I thought you got a 5D3 didn't you? I see that these are shot with your 7D. Have you tried shooting the heron with the 5D3?
[*]What is the heron's name? If he does not have one, may I suggest you call him TT. Tilapia Terminator!
[/list]
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Thanks for sharing that Serendipidy. Some of it I should have remembered but old age is catching up with me. Good natured healthy forum thread this is always!
I'm wondering what I would gain/lose relative to birds with my beloved 300 X2 in going to a ficticious 7D2. Any thoughts anyone? I think reach is addictive and coming from a D5100 and 300mm I REALLY love 600mm.
Well Terry, we're still western Canadian neighbors at least. I was going to say something about NHL hockey but I won't.
Here's another shot of my warbler from yesterday - same 6D 300 X2 etc.
Jack
Good natured healthy forum thread this is always!I'm wondering what I would gain/lose relative to birds with my beloved 300 X2 in going to a ficticious 7D2. Any thoughts anyone? I think reach is addictive and coming from a D5100 and 300mm I REALLY love 600mm.
Well Terry, we're still western Canadian neighbors at least. I was going to say something about NHL hockey but I won't.
Here's another shot of my warbler from yesterday - same 6D 300 X2 etc.
Jack
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