Reddish Egrets

Earth Day 2013

By Mia McPherson, on April 22nd, 2013%

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

I wanted to share these images because today is Earth Day. Every plant on this planet matters today and for future generations. This Jack-in-the-Pulpit matters. It can’t grow in the area where I found it in Florida if rampant development continues at alarming rates. Many plants are endangered from development, pollution and because they can’t compete with invasive species.

Female Scarlet Skimmer

The earth needs its insects, from spiders, bees dragonflies and every other insect. Bees are critical for food production yet poisons are being used that kill them and genetically modified plants are playing a roll in that too. Insects matter. This female Scarlet Skimmer helps to naturally control insect pests like mosquitoes. Insects matter, a lot.

White morph Reddish Egret

Birds are my passion, my fascination and I appreciate every bird on this planet. Birds matter. Birds help to disperse seeds and they are valuable to each and every one of us, even for the people who don’t realize it. But many birds on earth are in danger of becoming extinct if we don’t step up to prevent it from occurring as it has with the Passenger Pigeon, the Dodo and many more.

Coyote on Antelope Island State Park

Mammals matter, all wildlife does. But wildlife needs our help, many species are vulnerable and endangered. How can we close our eyes?

Zion National Park, Utah

We need to protect the land, it matters. Protect it from pollution, from over development from the scars of mining and clear cutting forests. The Earth matters.

Mia

Reddish Egret Morphs

By Mia McPherson, on December 27th, 2012%

Dancing dark morph Reddish Egret – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light

These two Reddish Egrets; a dark and a white morph, were photographed on the same day at Fort De Soto’s north beach in May of 2009 and both of them were showing signs of being in breeding plumage. This dark morph wasn’t quite in full breeding plumage because the bill would be pinker and the lores a deeper blue if it were but it was close. Dark morphs are far more common than white morphs and I felt lucky to photograph both morphs on the same day.

I photographed this Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) in a tidal lagoon while sitting in the water as the bird danced around me on the hunt for prey. My Nikkor 80-400mm VR was off being repaired so that day I was using my Nikkor 70-300mm VR for all the bird images I took. This egret was so busy hunting that it paid me no mind at all as it rushed around the lagoon. There were a few times I thought the bird was going to run right into me.

I like the bird’s pose, eye contact and the action this image conveys as well as how it shows the water, shore, wrack line and the sand dune in the background.

Hunting white morph Reddish Egret – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 250mm, natural light

This white morph Reddish Egret was busy hunting in the Gulf of Mexico when I photographed it. It’s lores are a deep purplish blue and the black-tipped bill is very pink. I was sitting on the sand of the shoreline as the egret raced around trying to catch prey where the waves broke and like the dark morph, this bird all but ignored my presence.

Reddish Egrets are sometimes called “Drunken Sailors” because of their movements while hunting, they often wobble, twirl, dance and seem to stumble. It is very amusing and entertaining to see and photograph and they never failed to delight me.

Mia

More Reddish Egret images

Four years ago today at Fort De Soto

By Mia McPherson, on October 17th, 2012%

Landing Great Egret

Just a few images taken 4 years ago today at Fort De Soto’s north beach. It was not a super busy day but I did get quite a few images that I like. I was in the lagoon when this Great Egret flew in, it was a slow approach to the landing and it gave me time to get quite a few images of it.

Reddish Egret with prey

This Reddish Egret was very cooperative but I believe that was because it took the egret nearly 5 minutes to get the fish down its throat! Those spines looked… sharp! Kind of made my throat scratchy just watching it.

Nonbreeding Laughing Gull on exposed sea grass bed

This Laughing Gull was hanging around the Reddish Egret, maybe it was hoping to steal the fish the egret had such a hard time swallowing. It sure looked lovely in it’s nonbreeding plumage on the dark green sea grasses.

Mia

*I’m probably packing to head out for my last camping trip of the year. Feel free to share this post with your friends & family!

Reddish Egret flying over the dunes

By Mia McPherson, on October 9th, 2012%

Reddish Egret in flight – Nikon d200, handheld, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 160mm, natural light

Just a very simple image today of a Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) flying over some sand dunes. I noticed the egret flying in my direction and quickly backed up my zoom so that I knew I’d fit the whole bird in the frame. It was nice and sunny to the east but a storm was coming in from the west over the Gulf of Mexico, I like the stormy sky in the background and how the vegetation on the dune grounds the frame.

Mia

More Reddish Egret images

Birds, Beasts and Bits About Me – My 500th Blog Post

By Mia McPherson, on October 4th, 2012%

Wow, this is my 500th blog post and it has been great fun to share my images and the stories behind them. I thought I’d share a few images and bits about my thoughts on photography.

Adult Dunlin feeding – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, ISO 200, 1/250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

What got me hooked on bird photography?

I would say shorebirds are why I am addicted to bird photography because they fascinated me and photographing them allowed me to crawl through mud, sand and water.

When I first started photographing shorebirds I could walk around covered in mud with my camera in my hand people just ignored me or would say “Wow, that camera must take good pictures”. Maybe they were too polite to mention that I had sand all over my face, muddy legs or a combination thereof.

Sanderling in nonbreeding plumage – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

I simply loved being out in nature, the feel of the sea breeze on my skin, having warm water lapping against my legs and the birds that I saw everywhere around me. I learned that if I sat or laid very still the birds would approach me and allow close ups like the Sanderling image above. Even when there were no birds around I could wade into the water fully clothed and just make it “look” like I was searching for birds while cooling off and giggling because I was in the water with all my clothes on and I didn’t care one bit.

While slithering around in mud and sand crawling through sugar sand I had many wonderful opportunities to meet and makes friends with a lot of like-minded people who love nature. I figured if they crawled around in the mud with me and didn’t mind that I smelled like a combination of fish and crab poop they had to be great people.

I learned a lot about shorebird ID, which were peeps, plovers and sandpipers and then figured out the rest. Breeding and nonbreeding plumage puzzled me for a bit but with experience, people who let me pick their brains and field guides I’ve become proficient at figuring out shorebird ID.

Roseate Spoonbill in morning light – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/750, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

Then there were the larger wading birds, some with razor-sharp bills, some that curved downwards, looked like wood and spoons! I got addicted to photographing them too.

I learned not to over saturate the colors of my subjects in post processing so that they looked like what I saw through my viewfinder. The Roseate Spoonbill above is colorful enough without pushing that saturation slider up.

Why do I always mention “natural light” in my techs under the images I post?

My answer to that is that nature provides terrific light and I don’t like using flash on birds or other wildlife. I just prefer natural light over artificial.

Dancing white morph Reddish Egret – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 250mm, natural light

I studied the behavior of my subjects so I could tell when they were about to take flight, bathe, catch prey or dance like the white morph Reddish Egret above. The egret isn’t truly dancing, it is actively chasing after prey.

By observing my subjects I have gotten great action images that I might have missed if I hadn’t been able to anticipate their next move.

Little Blue Heron with a Bay Pipefish – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/800, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

I found out that going out to photograph with other people was very enjoyable and that knowledge about techniques could flow easily back and forth. I photographed the Little Blue Heron with a Bay Pipefish above with two photographer friends and we all walked away with images that we were very happy with.

Singing male Red-winged Blackbird – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/200, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

I worked on my stalking skills and patience so I could get closer to my subjects without stressing them or making them flush. Of course; some still flush & fly.

Laughing Gull in breeding plumage at a water fountain – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light

I feel that all birds are worthy subjects and that even the most common birds can be uncommonly beautiful in the right light, pose or setting. Normally I prefer natural settings and perches but I also enjoy images that have manmade items in them. I think the water fountain as a perch for this Laughing Gull adds a touch of whimsy.

Male Northern Harrier in flight – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Paying attention to how close the background material is to the subject is important. If the dried Phragmites behind this male Northern Harrier had been any closer to the bird the background may have looked very messy but because of the distance from the harrier to the vegetation plus my choice of aperture and the bokeh of the lens created a background that doesn’t draw attention away from the subject.

Loggerhead Shrike perched on Sagebrush – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

I selected the colors for this blog and my web site using the hues of greens from Sagebrush, a shrub that is found in many areas of my adopted state of Utah. I find the gray greens soothing and I have to admit I find the aroma of Sagebrush very appealing. Besides, Sagebrush makes a great perch for many of my subjects.

Pronghorn does on a hilltop at sunset – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/3200, ISO 1000, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

Even though birds are my primary passion for photographic subjects I can’t resist taking images of other subjects like the Pronghorn does above. If there aren’t birds around I will take images of flowers, scenery, mammals, insects and more.

The Wedge in the San Rafael Swell, Utah – Nikon D200, handheld, f9, 1/2000, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm, natural light

I see spectacular views, sun rises and sunsets because of my photographic journeys, some time the views take my breath away. Looking down into the Little Grand Canyon from The Wedge certainly did.

Coyote eating Falcon leftovers – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 314mm, natural light, not baited or called in

There are times when paying attention to one species gives clues about another. I’d seen Peregrine Falcons feeding on ducks on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake and later saw a Coyote feeding on the falcon’s leftovers, now I know why the Coyotes were along the causeway the year before which had puzzled me. I love the piled up sheets of ice in the background of this image.

Adult Bald Eagle in flight – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Patience is needed for bird photography, waiting for a bird to fly, waiting for the right banking turn to light the whole bird up and sometimes just waiting for birds to show up.

Perched adult western Burrowing Owl – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

Because of my bird and nature photography I have met the most interesting people in person and have become friends with many of you through this blog or yours and I appreciate you all. Life is good.

500 posts. Wow.

Mia