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Posing Beauty


Posing Beauty
Photo Information
Copyright: Manyee Desandies (manyee) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3064 W: 231 N: 6159] (21044)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-03
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/640 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-02-06 2:48
Viewed: 690
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias

Grande Héron (French)
Garza morena, Garza blanca granda, Gallinaza (Spanish)

The largest and most widespread heron in North America, the Great Blue Heron can be found along the ocean shore or the edge of a small inland pond. An all white form is found from southern Florida into the Caribbean, and used to be considered a separate species, the "Great White Heron."

Description:
Large, gray bird.
Long legs
Long, "S"-shaped neck.
Long, thick bill.
White crown stripe.
Black plume extending from behind eye to off the back of the neck.
Shaggy feathers on neck and back.
Bluish gray back, wings, and belly.
Reddish or gray neck.
White morph all white with pale legs, yellow bill.
Size: 97-137 cm (38-54 in)
Wingspan: 167-201 cm (66-79 in)
Weight: 2100-2500 g (74.13-88.25 ounces)
Sexes look alike.

Sound:
Call a deep, hoarse croak.

Conservation Status:
The Great Blue Heron suffered less from plume hunters and pesticides than other herons, and its numbers have remained strong.

Cool Facts:

The white form of the Great Blue Heron, known as the "great white heron," is found nearly exclusively in shallow marine waters along the coast of very southern Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the Caribbean. Where the dark and white forms overlap in Florida, intermediate birds known as "Wurdemann's herons" can be found. They have the bodies of a Great Blue Heron, but the white head and neck of the great white heron.

Although the Great Blue Heron eats primarily fish, it is adaptable and willing to eat other animals as well. Several studies have found that voles (mice) were a very important part of the diet, making up nearly half of what was fed to nestlings in Idaho. Occasionally a heron will choke to death trying to eat a fish that is too large to swallow.

Great Blue Herons congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers. A study found that herons ate mostly diseased fish that would have died shortly anyway. Sick fish spent more time near the surface of the water where they were more vulnerable to the herons.

Source
coasties, Janice, Adanac, stevkds, fiyo, Tamrock, scottevers7 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 526 W: 87 N: 697] (6115)
  • [2007-02-06 2:53]

hi Manyee
joli cadrage entier de ce héron, sa position pattes écartée est amusante, un vrai cowboy. Bien vu d'avoir attendu qu'il tourne la tête, ça compose très bien l'image.

tfs

Hi Manyee

Excellent shot. Nice pose from your delightful model. Exposure is good and the dark BG ebhances the image. Nice camera work. :-)

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2007-02-06 4:15]

Manyee, what a beautiful specimen. The dark BG emphasises the lighter feathers and details. Well displayed, and TFS
Janice

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2007-02-06 7:36]

Hi Manyee,
Great portrait of a beautiful heron. The details and colors in the plummage are super. The composition and crop to remove most of what it's standing on are great. Thanks Manyee.
Rick

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 525 W: 47 N: 674] (2173)
  • [2007-02-06 9:26]

Good shot Manyee! Striking pose on a nice background! POV and composition make this one artful!

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2762] (10618)
  • [2007-02-06 15:54]

Hello Manyee,
Fantastic shot, very nice capture with a superb composition
Superb detail, very sharp and clear.
Thanks for posting

I like the way your heron emerges from the dark background. It is an interesting pose, with the feet seeming to go one way and the bird the other. I like the simplicity of the image. Nice exposure and sharpness.

TFS
Evelynn : )

hi manyee!
very nice and i really like
the lightning
sharp with good pov and
great composition
well done!

Hi Manyee,
I like this full body shot alot. The light was dramatic here. Nice exposure has the colors and detail in the plumage looking good. Dark backround works perfectly here. I have observed a photographed quite a few of them in Florida.
Scott

bonjour manyee
bien vu,j'aime comme ce heron ressort sur le BG presque noir.
jolis details et couleurs.
laurent

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