Walk Like a Dinosaur

[Loupey]

I haven't posted many images of GBHs because, although quite common in my area, they always take off before I can get into position.

So I'm down on all fours taking pictures of tiny flowers coming out of the pond when I look up and see this heron walking towards me along the bank. I wonder when he is going to stop but simply walks around me in a semi-circle with about a 40' radius. I figure that 40' is his comfort range so I start following him keeping this distance. I had to smile following and watching him through the viewfinder as he walking like that. Funnier that I too was walking like that - didn't realize it at first - and at the same rate so as to keep the distance constant.

I followed him exactly half way around a 3~4 acre education pond. Never posted any images from this pond before despite it being the closest pond to my work - manicured lawns, hardly any vegetation in the water, busy road not a stones throw away, and very little wildlife in and around the pond itself.

All with the 300mm. First two nearly uncropped, last one cropped of the nearest approach (took off soon thereafter). Wanted to shoot from a lower angle but I would have gotten buildings, cars, power lines, and other distractions as you can almost see in #1.

[Old Timer]

Very nice Loupey. I have had only one opportunity at GBH and I hope I made the most of it. He didn't let me get nearly this close , but than I only had 200mm lens on at at the time. When he took off he did fly right in front of me so I got a decent in flight photo.

[Loupey]

OT, thanks for looking. Seeing and photographing are two completely different things aren't they? It reminded me of my recent trips to Magee Marsh - the birders were excited and quite content at seeing birds at a distance and through heavy brush with binoculars. But it wasn't until I had an exceptionally close and unobstructed bird that I could take the shot.

I had people pointing out good birds/bad shots all day long to me. I'm sure they were wondering why I wasn't shooting