Little green heron, new camera

[alloutdoors]

Finally replaced my old Canon 1DsIII with a Canon 1DX. Huge upgrade in autofocus capabilities and at 12 frames/sec it's more than double the old body. Looking forward to putting it to use during my son's soccer games this fall, and of course on lots of wildlife as well. These aren't the greatest shots with the cluttered background, but they are the first shots with the new camera. Found this little green heron hunting from a tree that had toppled into the creek.

[Dinsdale]

Curious to what lens you are using...... 

[alloutdoors]

8 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

Curious to what lens you are using...... 

Sure, I've posted it in a few other threads here, but it's a Canon 600mm f4 IS II. Most of what I post here is taken with either the 600 or a Canon 300mm f2.8 IS, and I'll use teleconverters with either lens depending on the situation (the heron photos were taken with just the bare 600mm). It just so happens I grabbed a shot of myself shooting from my kayak the same morning I was photographing the heron.

[wooly]

Sweet set!

It's almost embarrassing to see how easy they make shore fishing look.

At 12 FPS that shutter's gotta be flapping fast enough to propel you across the lake if you get tired of paddling,lol

[alloutdoors]

2 minutes ago, wooly said:

At 12 FPS that shutter's gotta be flapping fast enough to propel you across the lake if you get tired of paddling,lol

  Hadn't considered that, I'll have to give it a try.

[stoneam2006]

That can't be a real pic of you....is it....

That camera is crazy if it's true

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[alloutdoors]

4 minutes ago, stoneam2006 said:

That can't be a real pic of you....is it....

I know, I know, it's hard to believe... but yes... I really am that handsome. 

But yeah, that's me. I'm not in the habit of slapping my copyright on other peoples photos for one thing.

[philoshop]

12 fps is approaching hummingbird speed! Very nice shots!

[Marion]

That camera must weigh at least 50lbs with that giant lens

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Doc]

Dumb Question:

Anybody know why they call that bird a Green Heron when there isn't a spec of green on it? I have one that hangs around my small pond in the woods behind the barn. For a long time I called these birds a Bittern, but eventually decided that it was indeed a green heron.

[stoneam2006]

I know, I know, it's hard to believe... but yes... I really am that handsome. 

But yeah, that's me. I'm not in the habit of slapping my copyright on other peoples photos for one thing.

Dedication....if your willing to carry that camera around I give you credit i can't imagine

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[grampy]

And I thought carrying a crossbow in the woods was awkward! 

Nice pic's though!

[growalot]

Doc that is a shade of green on wing feathers....

[alloutdoors]

9 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

That camera must weigh at least 50lbs with that giant lens

Haha, it's not quite that bad. The lens itself is about 8.6lbs, plus a little for the neoprene cover. The entire rig is around 12.5 pounds, a bit more if I throw on a teleconverter. This lens was released in 2012 and is the "Mark II", or second, version. That's the "II" in 600 f4 IS II. The original 600 f4 IS that it replaced weighed close to 12lbs all on its own, nobody handheld that lens for more than a few seconds at a time. 

[Karpteach]

Outstanding photos. 

[alloutdoors]

6 hours ago, Doc said:

Dumb Question:

Anybody know why they call that bird a Green Heron when there isn't a spec of green on it? I have one that hangs around my small pond in the woods behind the barn. For a long time I called these birds a Bittern, but eventually decided that it was indeed a green heron.

Short answer, the head and back are an iridescent green if the light hits them right.

Longer answer, birds have a couple ways of producing their colors. Probably everyone is familiar with the idea of pigments, which reflect certain wavelengths which our eyes see as different colors depending on what is reflected. Iridescent colors on the other hand are structural, meaning that the color is produced as a result of how light is refracted by the structure of the feather, specifically by the proteins within the feather. Iridescent colors are highly variable depending on the intensity and angle of the light hitting them. If you've ever watched a male hummingbird on a cloudy day that bright red throat patch will often look black. Even on a sunny day you will see the color appear to change as the bird moves around. Same idea with the herons, under the right light conditions the color can be a bit more intense, but it often appears grey, or blue-grey, or greenish blue.

Here's an even more in depth explanation from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/how-birds-make-colorful-feathers/

Edited August 20, 2016 by alloutdoors