Snowy Egrets Dip Feeding - Behavioral Series

[Canon_Bob]

If you've never seen it before, this can be quite an interesting behavioral pattern. They basically start from one edge of a pool of water, and rapidly skim across it...dipping their feet along the way. As they spook a fish beneath them, they strike with lightning quick speed. I encountered a foray of this today and managed to get some shots of it happening. It started with just a couple birds, and evolved into 20 or 30 within a few minutes. the whole thing lasted about 15 minutes. I wish I'd have been able to get a better POV, but the terrain just wouldn't allow it. I probably won't keep these, as the bubbles in the pool are far too distracting for my taste, and resemble big blobs of sensor dust. Still, it was good practice for shooting action with the 600L, and for white bird exposure. Had to check the histogram a lot, as the light kept changing on me. Enjoy!

The first two are the birds skimming the water with their feet:





The next two are "strikes":





The last one is of a bird that grabbed a tiny crab, flipped it into the air, and gobbled it up on the fly:

[paulnj]

very cool images Bob!

[Canon_Bob]

Thanks Paul. First time I've had a chance to shoot this behavior. Wish I'd have been lower.

[tufcat]

When I grow up, I want to be just like Canon Bob. Great work as usual.

[Loupey]

Love the foot-drag of the first two images.

But the last one takes the cake!

[Jaedon]

Bob, as usual I love the clarity and sharpness of your images. Simply breath taking. My Favourite is number 1 but they are all exquisite.

I have taken your histogram lesson to heart and discovered that my images are about 500% than they were before for exposure.

[readingr]

Amazing set of photo's. Love the last one.

How long do you sit ans wait for these? Must take forever.

Roger

[SmartWombat]

I love #4, you can see the near-stall airflow on the wing, superb.
But #5 takes the cake !

[Canon_Bob]

Thanks for the kind words all. It was fun to shoot, but I'd have preferred a lower POV on this series. I think a water level POV would have put this series off the charts. It would've also eliminated those bubbles in the water.

Jaedon - Glad the histogram technique is working well for you. Very simple, but powerfully effective! Looking forward to seeing the results here!

Roger - I really don't spend a lot of time waiting. Nature happens. It happens whether I'm there to see it or not. I think the biggest key is to just get out and shoot. Shoot a lot! The more you're out, the more your chances of catching a moment like this. I'd be willing to bet that this same feeding spree occurs every day. It just happens at different times, and only the birds know when. I was lucky on this day, in that I was there to see and photograph it. Other photographers showed up literally minutes after it was over, spent 5 minutes at this pool, and moved on to something else! I didn't have the heart to tell them what they missed. I'm out a lot, but I love it. There's not much else I'd rather do.

[AgingEyes]

It's funny that just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading the article in Nature Photographer magazine about these birds and the way they feed as you're showing here. It also explains why they're dragging their feet that way along the water.

Great shots!!

[readingr]

I think the biggest key is to just get out and shoot.

Yes but I'm in the UK and your in Florida, Even the birds around hide in the weather we've had in the last couple of months:lol:

Hopefully the weather's starting to get better, so I can start sailing and using the camera outdoors again.

Roger

[Canon_Bob]

Yes but I'm in the UK and your in Florida, Even the birds around hide in the weather we've had in the last couple of months:lol:

Hopefully the weather's starting to get better, so I can start sailing and using the camera outdoors again.

Roger

Good point. I do vaguely remember temperatures below 60 degrees Farenheit....but it was long ago, and I probably wasn't photographing birds :wink5:

[jgredline]

Simply breath taking!!!
I can appreciate the work. I will often spend hours upon hours to find a shot that at the end of the day, makes only me happy...

[SpeedingSphere]

Great shots! They're all great but the last one would be what I'd hang on my wall if it were my shot! Do you have any 100% crops of the crab in mid air between his beak?