They were close enough to be in the same frame, but I did not get both the Alligator and Green Heron in focus.
The Green Heron was going about his business, picking small snacks from between the water plants and the Alligator paid no attention.
Ducks have been showing up around the various ponds I frequent and I was hoping for some decent in-flight views. The ducks had other ideas this day and kept their flight patterns close to the marsh grass.
A Great Blue Heron was a little more obliging as he winged past me.
It was late afternoon and the sun was behind me. In the shaded corner of a pond this Great Blue Heron make a nice silhouette and reflection in the blue water.
Some days the birds are just too far for photographing.
That doesn’t stop me from taking a few images to record what I saw and occasionally those far off shots become a nice landscape.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, September 29, 2019.
The sun was up but it was a hazy. A Great Blue Heron passed by with a few squawks, putting out his landing gear.
He scored a nice landing.
He only stayed a moment, perhaps rethinking being out in the open. Two Bald Eagles were patrolling the skies, and while the Great Blue would be an unlikely target they are keenly aware of the predators.
The wading birds generally appear to pay little attention to their surroundings. They take off if something really disturbs them, otherwise they go about their business.
Once in awhile curiosity gets the takes over.
I kept expecting something to jump but nothing ran or flew out of the grass.
Reminding me of musical notes on a staff these White Ibis were writing a song in a dead tree.
However, they weren’t all carrying the same tune, and seemed to covet each others’ spots.
Being “king of the hill” is a popular bird theme.
Pushing right to the limit, this fellow held a long note.
I circled around to get better light and most of the Ibis had moved on to another song.
This juvenile Little Blue Heron was just poking along in between the swamp sunflowers.
Their preferred hunting ground is in the water which was just behind this flower clump, but herons will eat insects and anoles found on dry land.
This fellow in with the flowers was a nice picture, even if he didn’t find any lunch.
I occasionally take a walk to this small pond after checking out the action on the big pond. The pond has a full tree canopy so the light is usually poor for photographs, but late in the day some dappled sun works through. And some days the walk rewards me with a bird.
This trip it was an adult White Ibis, slowing working his way back and forth, in and out of the patches of sunlight.
Then something startled him and he retreated to a spot above the water at the back of the pond, where he carefully checked the sky.
A Green Heron struck up a standard heron pose on a limb hanging out over the pond.
Like a good model he showed off his other side.
Then I waited for him to do something else, maybe drop to the water to catch his dinner.
I guess he wasn’t hungry: these two steps were about the extent of it.
