a few Rookery BIFs

[Harryb]

Hi you'll,

Just some BIFs that I was lucky enough to catch during the visit to the rookery
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20589024-L.jpg

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20589655-L.jpg

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20589656-L.jpg

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20591196-L.jpg

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20598014-L.jpg

[Ric Grupe]

Really nice...:thumb

One thing I would like to see is some photos of the surrounding area, so I can get a better feel for these shots. Make sense? :shay

I'm not complaining...I just want MORE.

[Harryb]

Really nice...:thumb

One thing I would like to see is some photos of the surrounding area, so I can get a better feel for these shots. Make sense? :shay

I'm not complaining...I just want MORE.
Hey Ric,
seesh what a complainer. You want more area ok here's more area.

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/20598019-L.jpg

[Ric Grupe]

...I'm talkin' about!!!!!

See the unfair advantage you have? This scene is almost unbelievable.

You made me happy.:smile6 :smile6 :smile6

[4labs]

Love the first one Harry its like you are right on level with him.. Thnxs for sharing.

[Phil U.]

...shooting BIFs in a barrel

[Harryb]

...I'm talkin' about!!!!!

You made me happy.:smile6 :smile6 :smile6

If so then my work here is done. :rofl

[Harryb]

Love the first one Harry its like you are right on level with him.. Thnxs for sharing.
Hey Labs,

I was just about on eye level with him when I took the shot. :D Yhanks for stpping by.

[bfjr]

I love this, ho hum
"Just some BIFs that I was lucky enough to catch during the visit to the rookery" Ya know just go out and shoot a few BIF's, no biggy :lol4 Yeah Right :rolleyes:wink

I do like that overall view, looks like a great area you lucky man :thumb

As Always Harry Pristine :thumb So Sharp :thumb

[Kirwin]

Hi Harry,

I need to visit a rookery! Are the egrets always moving about as your images portray? Excellent series.

Regards,
Kirwin, not Kerwin:dunno (even though Kirwin is not my real name:lol )

[Khaos]

Great shots as usual. I'm going to be down in Miami for a day near the end of August, but it looks like you're a tad farther north.

[pathfinder]

Harry!! You're getting full frame images of BIFs with a 175mm lens??!! How spoiled are you?? :D :D

If you're going to play basketball, it is not fair to put the basket at three feet high! How lucky you are to have such close proximity to these lovely creatures. I really must come to Florida and see how the other half lives!!:thumb

[Harryb]

...shooting BIFs in a barrel
Hey Phil,

Thanks for stopping by. There were so many birds in the air there that shooting BIFs was fairly easy. I think that's about the first time I could ever say that.

[jwear]

you will have to help them with the nest next time Harry :thumb great shots but #1 is :scratch :scratch :scratch dam good !!!!!! JEFF

[Harryb]

I love this, ho hum
Ya know just go out and shoot a few BIF's, no biggy :lol4 Yeah Right :rolleyes:wink

I do like that overall view, looks like a great area you lucky man :thumb

As Always Harry Pristine :thumb So Sharp :thumb
Hey Ben,

Getting BIFs at the rookery was very easy. You have all these birds flying around all the time. They are used to humans so they aren;t running away for a change. It was perfect. :D

[Harryb]

Hi Harry,

I need to visit a rookery! Are the egrets always moving about as your images portray? Excellent series.

Regards,
Kirwin, not Kerwin:dunno (even though Kirwin is not my real name:lol )
Hey Kirwin,

Everybody needs to visit a rookery. :D There is an amazing amount of activity. You have mating, nest building, chick feeding, and just normal feeding going on. Birds are in the air all the time and there is a lot of motion. The noise level, mostly from the chicks, is amazing.

I was speaking to Trish the other day and I said that even though I was happy with my shots I know I can do better on my next trip because I will be better prepared for the environment. It was a bit of an overwhelm on the first visit.

[ginger_55]

Great shots Harry, even though you were at eye level having a conversation, maybe a beer or two, with the birds at the time.

There are rookerys and then there are rookerys. So even if I go to one alot, no one is drinking beer with me. They don't even like me much.

Now there is one right across the hiway from me, just saw it last weekend. It is in a developement, but it says they did the rookery in 1994. There is a wooded walkway into the area, in which we are to make no noise.

The only problem is that the rookery is surrounded by the trees. Yes the birds are close enough, and numerous enough to invite for a beer, but no place to drink one....................or to get a clear shot, "shot" get it.:rofl .

There is a looksee that you can climb up to see "over" the trees, but the trees have been growing awhile..........etc. See my problem.

But looking into what I saw, it looks almost abscene. I didn't think they were birds at first. I thought they were giant white containers for the birds. Kind of like a condiminium they had built for the birds, but not too high.

Then I realized they were birds, most of whom were nesting. I have been busy on the d challenge and have not been back.

I don't know quite what I think of that "rookery".

What do you all think? I mean we are hunters with a camera........... Should I get a machete and take photos. Those birds are huge, I wonder if they are hand feeding them.

Should see birds tomorrow where I usually go. That would be two weeks since the egg dropped.

ginger

[Harryb]

Great shots as usual. I'm going to be down in Miami for a day near the end of August, but it looks like you're a tad farther north.Thanks and I am a "bit" north of Miami. If you ever get up to the Space Coast let me know. http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif

[Harryb]

Harry!! You're getting full frame images of BIFs with a 175mm lens??!! How spoiled are you?? :D :D

If you're going to play basketball, it is not fair to put the basket at three feet high! How lucky you are to have such close proximity to these lovely creatures. I really must come to Florida and see how the other half lives!!:thumb
Hey PF,

Spoiled?:dunno I wanted to shoot with my 300mm prime and was forced to go with my 80-400 zoom because those darn birds were too close. :tough

We were so close to some of the nests that I could have reached in and and grabbed enough eggs for an egret omlet.

Only come to Florida if you can handle a target rich environment. :D

[Harryb]

you will have to help them with the nest next time Harry :thumb great shots but #1 is :scratch :scratch :scratch dam good !!!!!! JEFF
Hey Jeff,

I would them but I'm retired now. :rofl Thanks.

[Harryb]

Great shots Harry, even though you were at eye level having a conversation, maybe a beer or two, with the birds at the time.


The only problem is that the rookery is surrounded by the trees. Yes the birds are close enough, and numerous enough to invite for a beer, but no place to drink one....................or to get a clear shot, "shot" get it.:rofl .



I don't know quite what I think of that "rookery".

What do you all think? I mean we are hunters with a camera........... Should I get a machete and take photos. Those birds are huge, I wonder if they are hand feeding them.

Should see birds tomorrow where I usually go. That would be two weeks since the egg dropped.

ginger
Hey Ginger,

Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you liked the shots. The machete idea though a good one is no go. :nono In wildlife and nature photography we are there to capture what we can but never interfere with nature. Its sort of like the "Prime Directive" in Star Trek. :D

If your rookery doesn't float your boat take a drive down to St. Augustine. You'll have a balst down there.

[Markjay]

tell me, tell me! I'll have to make a trip over to the atlantic coast....
I'm due :):

[jwear]

Hey Jeff,

I would HELP them but I'm retired now. :rofl Thanks. good one Harry no work---- I'AM RETIRED :D :rofl :thumb AS FUNNY AS THE PIC WAS GOOD :1drink

[Kirwin]

Hi Harry,

Now I'm really curious about this rookery. I'm not that far from you if you would like to get together sometime in the near future. Hopefully you wouldn't mind shootin' with a noob/amateur with a Lumix digicam. :D

Hey Kirwin,

Everybody needs to visit a rookery. :D There is an amazing amount of activity. You have mating, nest building, chick feeding, and just normal feeding going on. Birds are in the air all the time and there is a lot of motion. The noise level, mostly from the chicks, is amazing.

I was speaking to Trish the other day and I said that even though I was happy with my shots I know I can do better on my next trip because I will be better prepared for the environment. It was a bit of an overwhelm on the first visit.

[Harryb]

tell me, tell me! I'll have to make a trip over to the atlantic coast....
I'm due :):
Hey Mark,

Its the St. Augustine Alligator Farm http://www.alligatorfarm.com/ .
If you get over to the Atlantic Side give me a call.

[Harryb]

Hi Harry,

Now I'm really curious about this rookery. I'm not that far from you if you would like to get together sometime in the near future. Hopefully you wouldn't mind shootin' with a noob/amateur with a Lumix digicam. :D
Hey Kirwin,

That would be great. I don't mind shooting with an amateur, heck I shot with Andy for a long time. :rofl

I'm going to be visiting my son and his family in Georgia next week but I'm planning at trip to St. Augustine and the Rookery the following week. Maybe we could meet up there.

[Kirwin]

Great Harry,

PM me when you get back from your family trip. I'm good during the weekdays if that works well for you. If someone else like Markjay or Trish would like to join the outing... I say more the merrier!:D Look forward to meeting you, and just so you know... my actual name is Kevin (not Kiven).:huh :lol

Hey Kirwin,

That would be great. I don't mind shooting with an amateur, heck I shot with Andy for a long time. :rofl

I'm going to be visiting my son and his family in Georgia next week but I'm planning at trip to St. Augustine and the Rookery the following week. Maybe we could meet up there.

[ginger_55]

Hey Ginger,

Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you liked the shots. The machete idea though a good one is no go. :nono In wildlife and nature photography we are there to capture what we can but never interfere with nature. Its sort of like the "Prime Directive" in Star Trek. :D

If your rookery doesn't float your boat take a drive down to St. Augustine. You'll have a balst down there.

Actually, I was not serious about the machete idea. Good gosh, it is public property, belongs to the town, the development or something. The whole area is not that big.

It is one of those developements with houses, big and small and tiny yards, a walking offers all developement, so they offer a rookery. But I could not go in there with a machete, could not use one if I could legally, or even get away with it, which I couldn't. I am not strong enough.

I just don't like that rookery particularly. Was trying to delicately bring up the subject. I do like the one I have been going to, it is much larger........the whole area is acres big, the birds roost where they want. I saw them last fall. It is a conservation area. You know, don't kill birds or animals. That type of place. The one across the highway in the developement is IMO an attraction to say, "aren't we a nice place", buy here, and I would not mind living there, though bill says he would hate it, he thinks the yards are too small. That is funny as we live in a townhouse with a miniscule backyard. The roads are small, too, and I think that bothered him. And the rookery is small, he stayed in the van and didn't see it.

I suppose my point was something like, are they not interfering with nature?
For gain? And if someone without a rookery gets a great bird shot.........well, there are discussions about this stuff among "hunter" hunters, I was just wondering.

I do not go around with machetes, that would be work, I do not do work of any kind.............ever.

ginger:D

[Harryb]

Great Harry,

PM me when you get back from your family trip. I'm good during the weekdays if that works well for you. If someone else like Markjay or Trish would like to join the outing... I say more the merrier!http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/icon10.gif Look forward to meeting you, and just so you know... my actual name is Kevin (not Kiven).http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/eek7.gif http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/lol3.gifHey Kirwin,

http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif

[Harryb]

[QUOTE=ginger_55]Actually, I was not serious about the machete idea
I knew that.




I suppose my point was something like, are they not interfering with nature?
For gain? And if someone without a rookery gets a great bird shot.........well, there are discussions about this stuff among "hunter" hunters, I was just wondering.


Good point. I don't think so. The same question could be asked about any zoo. The sad truth is that our wildlife is steadly losing to the incursions of humans. Everyday many species are going extinct.

Harry