Inspiring Photo: <b>Great Egret</b> #9224354

Uploaded: October 18, 2009 06:42:00

Description

Exif: F Number: 8, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/100 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 250, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 600.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 50D

Comments

Tarun Bose October 18, 2009

Outstanding capture, Dick. #1193637

Dick Jenkins October 18, 2009

Thank you Tarun. I find your work most interesting in that it contains subjects and scenes that I have never before seen. And so we exchange images of our worlds, from opposite sides of the planet.

I had managed to exist for nearly 70 years without having experienced the beautiful Great Egret, and now I live among them. #8047270

Karacan Salkuci (Kalacay) October 18, 2009

You egret shots are fantastic Dick.This is another great shot. #8047487

Colette M. Metcalf October 18, 2009

Wow! Excellent! #8048389

Maureen M. Bisson October 18, 2009

Stunning capture of a gorgeous bird Dick! I just viewed your wonderful Gallery earlier ~ fantastic! #8048765

Bonnie Gearhart October 19, 2009

Another masterpiece........ #8049478

Dick Jenkins October 19, 2009

Thank you Kara, Colette, Maureen and Bonnie, your comments are greatly appreciated. These birds are quite regal, especially during mating season when they display these fine feathers and prance about knowing that they are stunning. The turquoise green around the eyes and bill also comes and goes with the mating season. Every year they go through this ritual that lasts several months. Women of the world, be thankful......... #8050152

Summer A. Kozisek October 21, 2009

This whole series is beautiful Dick, great lighting and details in them all!! #8057114

Dick Jenkins October 21, 2009

Thank you Summer, always nice hearing from you. #8057129

Summer A. Kozisek March 11, 2010

Congratulations on your POTD!! #8446818

Katarina Mansson March 11, 2010

Excellent!!! Congratulations!!! #8446821

Mary K. Robison March 11, 2010

Lovely capture ~ such a glowing white! Enjoyed your comments above about these elegant birds.
Congratulations on your POTD!
#8446823

Marilyn K. Lincecum March 11, 2010

Congratulations on a beautiful egreat. Love the feathers. #8446824

Heather Thorsen March 11, 2010

Fantastic bird and an equally fantastic photography.
Congratulations on your POTD.
regards
Heather #8446828

Usman M. Bajwa March 11, 2010

Like Mary, I also got a load of information from your comments above, Dick. Beautiful capture, indeed. CONGRATZ. on the POTD Award!

UB. #8446831

Kim Andelkovic March 11, 2010

Congrats on such a super image......so very well deserving POTD and I rekon a win for the month....totally awesome image :-) #8446867

Michelle Alton March 11, 2010

This was and is a brilliant, awesome image and such a great selection for POTD. Congratulations, Dick. #8446875

Tess L. Yee March 11, 2010

Superb image and a well-deserved POTD recognition, Dick! You have a fabulous gallery! #8447103

Nancyj E. Hovey March 11, 2010

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
on your very deserving POTD!! 8o) #8447129

Joy Rector March 11, 2010

congrats on the POTD #8447132

Dick Jenkins March 11, 2010

Thank you all for your lovely comments. I'm a bit taken back with this award since I posted this image back in October of 2009 but then again I've not received a POTD award before. The beauty of the wading birds during mating season is breathtaking to me as is their behavior. As I write these comments I am in the Everglades capturing their beauty.

This year was my first encounter with the Reddish Egret, a beautiful bird considered to be an endangered species in that there are but 1200 pairs estimated in existence. I was fortunate to run across a pair along the Gulf coast and will share a photo with you all to illustrate their beauty. Being the color that they are and being that their movements are very hurky-jerky it is difficult to get a good lock on them. Once home where I have access to my iMac desk top I will attempt to improve this image. I hope you all enjoy the Reddish Egret and run across one yourself some day if you haven't already. #8447169

Carolyn Morgan March 11, 2010

Well - if this is your first - you will be getting more! this is totally awesome! Congratulations! #8447186

Nancy J. Locke March 11, 2010

A MASTERPIECE!!! SUPER CONGRATS!!! Going to check out your gallery. Nice *meeting* you at BP. :D

Blessings, Nancy J Locke #8447190

Rosemary Sampson March 11, 2010

Awesome capture, Dick. A well deserved POTD. #8447360

Susan D. Royce March 11, 2010

Gorgeous shot! Congrats on the POTD. Thanks also for the bonus shot of the reddish egret...sounds like you live in a great spot for photo adventures! #8447442

Cheryl E. Molennor March 11, 2010

A beauty indeed. Congratulations Dick! #8447480

Carolyn M. DAlessandro March 11, 2010

Congratulations on your POTD...but I want to know how you were able to get this bird to pose like that for you..his feathers so couf...I love this image...a real beauty indeed...once again Dick,congratulations...easy to see why you won. #8447551

JO ANN CLEVELAND March 11, 2010

Ohhhh my goodness Dick! This is awesome...love the dark background...those wispy featerhs are just sooo pretty!

Congrats on your POTD!

jo ann c.
#8447558

Kathleen K. Parker March 11, 2010

Gorgeous POTD awarded photo. Congratulations, Dick!
KK #8447659

Jeffrey R. Bange March 11, 2010

Congratulations Dick on your well deserved POTD. I just finished looking at your gallery and can not believe that this is your first POTD. Your pictures of Egrets are amazing, and your compositions are just perfect. What is your primary lens that you use for most of your pictures. #8447702

Sheri Camarda March 11, 2010

WOW! This is breathtaking. A most beautiful bird and capture. Congratulations!!! And thank you for the information about the birds. I have never seen one. Again, a huge CONGRATULATIONS!!!! #8447704

PiperAnne L. Worcester March 11, 2010

Wherever you live has must have a fantastic collection of birds and you the talent to capture them. This is simply stunning . I would live a lifetime to capture a bird such as this. The shot is magnificent!Congratulations! #8447799

Christine Zipps March 11, 2010

WOW - gotta LOVE it when a POTD is truly deserving in your opinion - this one not only succeeds, but EXceeds on all levels -- OUTSTANDING!

SO wish I could claim it! :-)

Congrats, Dick! #8447870

Fax Sinclair March 11, 2010

Such a stunning image. Brilliantly composed with the sticks below and feathers above. I could live with this on my wall!
Only negative comment is that your chop needs to be bigger! Show off your name and make it harder to steal this image. #8447914

Dick Jenkins March 11, 2010

I want to thank you all for your comments and praise. Let me answer a question or two.

To Carolyn: When the Great Egret is mating there is a ritual that is performed time and time again. The female will pose on the nest, bend her legs to the full sitting position then stand, point her head towards the heavens, fully extend her neck and then come to the position shown in this photo. She will then take a feather or two in her beak from her breast and draw it out away from her body, letting it gently fall back in place. She behaves much like the lady in her evening gown, standing before the mirror, drawing her dress out away from the hips and turning to admire herself. She will do this off and on for hours as her mate is off gathering sticks for the nest.

To Jeffery B: I find it hard to put away my Canon f/2.8L, 300mm Prime lens. With an aperture of f/2.8 it is quick to focus and doesn't require a lot of light when the subject has little to no motion. It does carry a big price tag of over $5,000.

Thank you all again. #8447920

Cathy Barrows March 11, 2010

Congrats on your POTD...excellent mating shot #8447996

Dianna Murphy March 11, 2010

Gorgeous capture. Congratulations on the POTD. Hope we see this at the end of the month too! #8448018

Dianna Murphy March 11, 2010

Gorgeous capture. Congratulations on the POTD. Hope we see this at the end of the month too! #8448081

Debra R. Harder March 11, 2010

WOW, Dick! This is an AMAZING image!! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on your BEAUTIFUL POTD!! Deb #8448151

Steve M. Harrington March 11, 2010

Good on you, Dick! This POTD is richly deserved and your description of her mating ritual fine reading and informative.
Steve #8448229

Garth D. Beatty March 11, 2010

Very Nice!! #8448304

Lisa B. North March 11, 2010

What an elegant graceful creature! Love the lines! Great to see it on POTD!! Lisa #8448324

Rona L. Schwarz March 11, 2010

WOW and more WOW! Your POTD is probably the best capture of a great egret that I have seen - CONGRATULATIONS! And then I went to your gallery...which is full of breath-taking images of egrets, herons, and other birds.
Thank you for (a) including wonderful descriptions of what we are seeing; and (b) thank you for always including your settings - it is a real help for those of us still learning.
P.S. Theodore Cross, an amazing waterfowl photographer who just died recently, put in his epitaph that the one thing he regretted was never finding a Reddish Egret! #8448365

Phyllis A. Houghton March 11, 2010

Your egret is breathtaking, incredible, unique and the most beautiful capture I have ever seen. Congratulations on a most deserved win! #8448438

James H. Enterkin March 11, 2010

Great shot. Beautiful. #8448447

Jeff Robinson March 11, 2010

Congrats Dick on your Outstanding and Well Deserved POTD! Jeff #8448918

Dick Jenkins March 11, 2010

Thank you all for your generous comments. I really appreciate each and every one. #8448927

Jeanne & Cliff Dill March 12, 2010

Dick,
congrats on the POTD!! Both of these images are just breathtaking! And I know how hard it is to really capture the reddish egret to highlight the great color of the bird. . .yours is best I've seen!

Jeanne #8450050

Dick Jenkins March 12, 2010

Thanks Jeanne,

I fired off a good many shots of the Reddish Egret, behaving as if the President himself were darting about in front of me. I finally realized I'd be better off if I could catch him ruffled up by the wind to give my lens something more definitive to lock on. His actions are so herky-jerky that you can't get a lock around the eye or beak. Hopefully I will find more that are acceptable when I have a look at them on the desk top. Right now we are still traveling and lap-topping it.

#8450138

Susie Peek-Swint March 12, 2010

Stunning bird and capture Dick ~ terrific image .. many congrats on POTD! #8450526

Richard D. Love March 15, 2010

Congratulations, Dick. Just a magnificant image. Well done.

Rick #8456842

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