Great Blue Heron

[casil403]

I don't know hoe Michaelaw and 1putts manage to get such close-up shots of these guys but if there's a secret please do tell. They are so shy out here...and hard to get good captures of..even if you try to sneak up on them!

I got this guy last week. He was fun to watch but wanted no part of me and my camera once he noticed me...this is pretty cropped and was the best I could do..... the last shot is right before he flew away!

[1putts]

No secret casil. I guess our blues are just used to people. They're so abundant and approachable that they're taken for granted by the local photographers.

Look on the bright side...sneaking is part of the fun!

[tomorrowstreasures]

i really like th shot of the little guy with his reflection!

[Iguanasan]

Great effort. I still think you got some good shots here. The last on is my favourite! I wonder if lens selection has anything to do with it. What lens are you shooting with?

[casil403]

I'm shooting with a 70-300mm Pentax zoom lens Ig..I had it maxed out and still had to crop the daylights out of it...if I had a 500mm I think i could have gotten off a half decent shot without a massive crop!
Thanks for the info 1putts and the kind comments everyone!
I think next time I get back home to Van Island I will make Herons a priority!!!

[Michaelaw]

I get two kinds, the first seem acclimatized to people somewhat and you can get within ten feet or so before they scoot, then the second kind are really skittish and won't let you get close at all. With the skittish ones I use a technique I learned from my cat. Get as close as you can slowly, at some point you'll see they are onto you. Stop at this point and let them get focused back on their hunting. When they're all wrapped up in the hunt, move ever so slowly toward them until they become aware of you again. With each bit of ground you gain, get some shots! They have a kind of body language that with enough stalking them will tell you when they are just feeling threatened and when they are ready to bolt. When they're close to departing, get you're shutter speed up and pull the zoom out a little, put the focus on spot and you should get some cool flight shots if all goes well. Oh and turn off your camera beep for focus lock because that can spook the more timid ones. Of course this is pretty generalized info but it should help you a tad I hope

[casil403]

Wow...thanks a bunch ML!!! I didn't see one today (lots of ospreys out on the river tho').. I'm wondering if they've migrated in the last week???

Again!

[1putts]

Michaels stalking tips are great and should be applied to all birds. I can offer a couple more tips that might help for general birding. Try to approach diagonally, offering a side profile, rather than heading straight for them. It'll take you longer to close the distance, but it seems to help alot. Try not to make too much direct eye contact, I'm always doing the side peek! Use michaels stop and wait method if you see a change in body language. If you can, have your lens already up as you approach. Many times the raising of the lens is enough to send them into flight, ruining all your stalking effort! Hope this helps...good luck!

[casil403]

Michaels stalking tips are great and should be applied to all birds. I can offer a couple more tips that might help for general birding. Try to approach diagonally, offering a side profile, rather than heading straight for them. It'll take you longer to close the distance, but it seems to help alot. Try not to make too much direct eye contact, I'm always doing the side peek! Use michaels stop and wait method if you see a change in body language. If you can, have your lens already up as you approach. Many times the raising of the lens is enough to send them into flight, ruining all your stalking effort! Hope this helps...good luck!

Thanks 1putts...gosh you guys are so helpful!
With the ospreys and the nest I found, I try to make it look like I'm just out walking in a certain direction and not noticing them so I don't offer too much eye contact. If they start calling at me I talk to them in a soothing soft voice and it seems to calm them down because they stop. they haven't dived me yet (apparently they were diving some surveyers the other day who got too close) and they let me get pretty close to them.
This has also been working with the deer I've found this summer too.