How Close You Can Get To The Fauna Here

[zackiedawg]

Was out this Saturday at my wetlands, snapping some photos. ; I grabbed a few bird-in-flight shots for fun, and also had a fun encounter with a heron that I thought I'd share. ; All taken Saturday with my A550 and Tamron 200-500mm lens. ; As usual, links to the larger 1024x pixel version is below each photo.

Here's what I believe to be a royal tern in flight:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257799/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257801/original.jpg


Here, a great egret is flying low over the water - he was flying almost against the late afternoon sun, and I liked the harsh contrast between the white bird and dark water patterns:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257808/original.jpg

A great egret coming in for landing, while an anhinga dries his wings far in the distance:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257822/original.jpg

A great blue heron mom returning to her nest, with her chicks anxious to see if she brought food:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257827/original.jpg

The sun was just about gone at 6pm, as I was headed out of the wetlands reserve, when I ran into this tricolor heron sitting on the boardwalk rail, and not looking willing to move as I approached. ; This is at 200mm...I'm probably about 12 feet from him. ; Had to use ISO1600 as light was getting very low:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257830/original.jpg

So I decided to walk closer...maybe 7 feet away at 200mm and ISO1600, I get this:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257832/original.jpg

(the OOF on the lower body is due to the shallow DOF at these proximities).

How close can you go? ; Well, from about 7 feet, and using 420mm (630mm equiv), you can get THIS close at ISO1600:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257831/original.jpg

Now that's a super-close-up!

And one more I thought had a nice mood to it...a black-bellied whistling duck flying off into the colored Florida sunset sky:

http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/image/122257818/original.jpg

Comments, questions, critique always welcome.

 

[Scottwdw]

These are wonderful. ; You are handling that lens well. ; When wildlife get used to people being around, you can get close ups like this. ; Like the American Bison I photographed.

As longs as he didn't feel threatened, he didn't mind your attention. ; Probably couldn't figure what that single big eye was all about. ;

Oh, looks like a royal tern to me, too. ;

 

[Jeff Fillmore]

These are very nice Justin- the pixelated resized images displayed really do them no justice. ; Everyone be sure to click on the links to see the larger images. ; 1, 7 & 8 are my favorites.

 

[zackiedawg]

Thanks Scott on the confirm with the royal tern. ; I'm used to seeing least terns around here, so that one was not as regular for me. ; You're right on the familiarity - Floridians are constantly in close proximity to the fauna, so they do tend to get used to us. ; The wetlands are regularly visited by hundreds of people, and the birds have been roosting in these spots for years - they've just become completely at ease with human presence. ; I've actually been able to walk past a bird while he was on the handrail without him flying off - the boardwalk is no more than about 5 feet across.

Jeff, thank you...and appreciate the promo on the larger versions! ; I do hope folks check out the bigger links. ; The heron closeups especially I was very happy in such poor light and at high ISO to retain such detail...and the bird really is beautiful to see close up - where you can see the feather fibers and colors in the eye and head...they are beautiful birds.

 

[Paul]

Nice work Justin, I did check out the larger versions and they are really nice especially the close ups!

 

[zackiedawg]

Thank you Paul!

 

[prettypixie]

WOW - amazing!

 

[gary]

very well done, i was able to get a real appreciation for these, i clicked large, and then dragged it over to the 24 inch apple cinema, now that's a monitor that allows fine photos such as these to shine on through, second that habituated wildlife thing, although i made sure to stay in the car while taking my bison shots from wyoming, those are 2000+ animals, and critters that size demand respect, even if they are herbivores and have no teeth, they still have mass and horns

 

[zackiedawg]

Thanks Pixie and Gary. ; I think if all the birds I was standing around were the size of bison, I might stay a bit farther away. ; Actually, I wouldn't go near the place - birds the size of bison would be scary as all get-out. ; I believe I'd feel a bit better with a herd of bison being behind a fence or a car door...can't blame you there!