By Mia McPherson, on May 14th, 2012% Some images remind me of the wonderful day I had when I created a certain image, this photo of a Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) in breeding plumage photographed at the north beach of Fort De Soto, Florida is one of those files.
 Tricolored Heron in breeding plumage - Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 200, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 220mm, natural light On the day I photographed this heron there was a sea fog that burned off very rapidly once the warmth of the sun’s rays touched it. I was in great company, Adrian Burke and I had met at the north beach parking lot and there were birds, birds and more birds that day. Even though I have culled any bad images from the folder for that date it is still brimming with images I haven’t yet processed.
I was sitting in water up to my bum in the middle of a small tidal lagoon when the Tricolored walked by, it was stalking prey on the shoreline and not paying much attention to me at all. I like how it looks like the heron is trying to sneak past me in this frame even though I know it could have cared less about the sopping wet person with one big eye watching it walk by.
This was taken right at the end of the photo session and it was a great feeling to have filled almost all of my memory cards… and the memories in my mind of that morning too.
Good light. Good Birds. Great company, what more could this woman ask for?
Mia
PS: If you look on the right sidebar you can see an image of me photographing this same Tricolored Heron.
More Tricolored Heron images
By Mia McPherson, on July 11th, 2011% 
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) in still water
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 360mm, natural light
There is a quality that feels very tranquil about this image for me. It may be the still, silky texture of the water or the soft pastel color of it created by the early morning light. It might be the relaxed pose of the Tricolored Heron or it may be a combination of them all.
I had belly-crawled in the sand until I was laying at the edge of a tidal lagoon when I photographed this to get a low angle and so that I wouldn’t startle the heron. As I recall this Tricolored Heron stayed in this location for at least half an hour and it gave me the opportunity to compose quite a few images. Some were vertical, some were horizontal and I also varied the focal length on my zoom lens. I came away very pleased with the pictures I had taken of this heron and then crawled backwards so that I wouldn’t cause the bird to take flight before I headed down the beach in search of more birds.
Mia
More Tricolored Heron images
By Mia McPherson, on December 24th, 2010% 
Least Bittern in a wetlands
Roosevelt County Wetlands, Pinellas County, Florida
D200, HH, f6.3, 1/200, ISO 250, 80-400mm at 400mm, natural light
As a bird photographer I often strive for images where the subjects are out in the open, without distractions in the fore or background, but as with any photographic “rule”, they are made to be broken. There are times when a “hidden treasure” can be very appealing.
Least Bitterns (Ixobrychus exilis) are illusive birds, you’ll most often see them in amongst reeds, cattails, rushes or long grasses on the shorelines of freshwater lakes, ponds and wetlands. With their plumage patterns and coloring it is often difficult to see them when they are hidden in the vegetation. I took this image knowing that the bittern wasn’t out in the open but I still think it has appeal.
Tricolored Heron in Spartina
Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida
D200, HH, f6.3, 1/250, ISO 200, 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light
I was sitting in the water of a shallow lagoon at Fort De Soto’s north beach photographing some shorebirds when I noticed this Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) making its way towards me through the Spartina on the shoreline. Even though at this point I knew I would not have a clear view of the heron I took images anyway thinking that the grasses would be out of focus enough to not be distracting. I liked how this image turned out.
Juvenile Burrowing Owl in dried grasses
Antelope Island State Park, Utah
D200, f7.1, 1/750, ISO 250, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
The juvenile Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) above was one of four chicks in the brood at this location, its siblings were in more in the clear than this juvenile was but I liked the color of the dried vegetation, the lacy patterns the plant material created and how the bird’s face was basically in the clear so I took several shots of it before turning my lens back to the other owls. The green tones in the background compliment the warm tones of the burrowing owl and the dried plant material.
Gray Partridge in grasses
Glacier County, Montana
D200, f6.3, 1/750, ISO 500, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Gray Partridges (Perdix perdix) are not native to North America. They were introduced to North America in the later part of the 18th century and after repeated introductions some populations survived and the populations have become stable. Glacier County, Montana has a mixture of agricultural and fallow fields that the gray partridges seem to thrive in and that is where I saw this partridge walking through some grasses.
Ideally I would have liked to have shown the entire body of the bird without any obstructions in front it it but in this case this is where; and probably more importantly, how this species is often seen in the wild.
For me this image works because of the clear view of the partridge’s head & eye, how the grasses on the same focal place show some sharpness and fine detail in the seedheads and because the other grasses in the fore & background are out of focus.
Images like these aren’t always appealing to others but I find them compelling in their own way. Since the size of my portfolio is only limited by the size of my hard drives I often take photos where I think there is potential even where I know I might be bending or breaking some rules.
Mia
By Mia McPherson, on October 14th, 2010% 
Tricolored Heron fishing on the shore of Fort DeSoto’s north beach
D200, handheld, laying in the sand & water at the shoreline, f7.1, 1/750, ISO 200, 80-400mm VR at 270mm, natural light
Another one of my favorite wading birds is the Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor), a bird that used to be called the Louisiana Heron. It can be found in estuaries along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, in inland freshwater marshes in Florida. It had been confined to the southeastern United States but has spread since the 1940′s to breed as far north as Maine and was seen and photographed by a photographer friend of mine; Jim DeWitt, in Idaho, which was only the second documented Tricolored in the state of Idaho. Northern populations are migratory. This species is also widespread in Central and South America.
Tricolored Herons are very active when feeding, they dash, stretch their necks out to strike their prey and occasionally they use their wings to shade the water to spot fish. Tricolored Herons mainly eat fish but I have also seen them eat shrimp.
When Tricolored Herons are in breeding plumage the lores and part of the bill closest to the face become blue and the eye becomes much redder. The heron above is in nonbreeding plumage.
Mia
More Tricolored Heron images
Similar species
By Mia McPherson, on October 7th, 2010% 
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) with head tilt
Pinellas County, Florida
D200, handheld, laying flat on the sand, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 250, 80-400mm VR at 330mm, natural light
On the web there are many image critique forums, I am only active on one of the nature photography critique forums, though I have participated on a few since 2003. I believe that by receiving and giving critiques I can strengthen my skills in composition, technique and learn a great deal about the birds I love to photograph.
I have seen some avian images posted on other forums that I found interesting and appealing but several people who critiqued the photos have talked about having the head angle 2 degrees this way or three degrees another. I’ve pondered those critiques and personally there are times when I think different head angles; even those that do not show the “perfect head turn” can be very compelling images.
I thought I would post a few of my photos on the avian critique forum where I am a member where the head angle isn’t perfect but where I find that I like the images despite the lack of direct eye contact. The feed back I received was very positive, so I don’t believe I am alone with my thoughts about head angles.
In the image above the Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) turned its head towards the sky to eyeball an Osprey overhead and I feel that the head being turned upwards adds interest to the image. It can make the viewer wonder what the heron is looking at. You can see the eye but the bird is just going about its life and it was comfortable in my presence.
American Coot (Fulica americana)
Salt Lake County, Utah
D200, on Gitzo CF tripod, Black Widow head, F7.1, 1/500, ISO 250, 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
In this American Coot (Fulica americana) image the head angle might not be considered ideal, there is no direct eye contact or catchlight in the eye but I still feel that this is a compelling and interesting image because of the head angle and the bird’s pose and demeanor. I have more images of this coot where the head angle would be considered “better” but they do not have the same effect on me that this one does. In this image it is the head angle that draws me in and keeps my attention.
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) gazing over stormy water
Pinellas County, Florida
D200, handheld, laying in the sand, f5.6, 1/500, ISO 500, 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
In this photo the primary Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is looking away, yet you can still see the eye. I believe the reason this image works for me is that it appears that the Snowy Egret is looking at the stormy water thus I don’t mind the head angle. For me this photo is as much about the setting as it is about the birds. I like the out of focus egret in the background, I feel it adds a tension that might not be there if that egret were absent.
The critiques I received on all three of the images were overwhelmingly positive which I feel supports my thoughts that even without what some may consider “the perfect head angle” that we can create interesting and compelling avian images.
Mia
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Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon
Focusing on Wildlife Contributor
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