Monday, March 28, 2011

Well-dressed for the beach

Last week on our visit to Captiva Island where we watched fishermen trying their luck, we also noticed some other creatures that were even more engrossed in watching those same fishermen. In fact, they were so engrossed that I was able to get within 10 feet of them and they took scant notice of me. They were much more interested in the outcome since occasionally a smaller fish that wasn't worth filleting was tossed their way.

I consulted wikipedia and other sources and I believe this fellow is a grey heron. He obviously put on his best plumage for the occasion.

(70-200mm  f7.1  1/800 sec  ISO200)


26 comments:

Dawn said...

Much nicer than a bikini:)) Although...a tad warm? Suits a Canadian beach far better;)

darlin said...

What a fantastic shot Rick! It looks like this critter is wearing a tie... a tad bit overdressed but then again he (assuming it's a he) is out for dinner.

Dawn, for sure an Alberta beach anyways! lol

Bitch said...

This bird could be a model for the last fashion.
Did he got what he was waiting for?

Marty said...

cet oiseau est superbe ! son plumage est extraordinaire et ta photo est vraiment très réussie ! je te souhaite une belle journée !
merci pour ton gentil commentaire ! j'apprécie !
bisous lointains !!! K:)

magda said...

Ooooo Rick , very majestic bird!
It should be a great fisherman!! :))
Your photo is amazing !!!
Greetings

imac said...

Stands tall and proud Rick, which you certainly did well with super shot Rick.

Spring certainly has leaped into action now.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Yes,he is dressed in the best.great image.

Tammy said...

He's a beauty! I'm no expert, but I do a lot of bird watching, he sure looks like a Great Blue to me.
You got me wondering, so I did a search. Great blues and Grays look very much alike. From what I read, the easiest way to tell them apart is by where they live. Great blues are common in North America and Grays in Europe.
Hope you don't mind me checking :)

Michelle said...

Great close up! I love seeing detail we'd normally miss by not being as close. Great capture...love it!

Leslie said...

Yes, he is. We have an ancient grey heron who presides over our neighborhood pond. Unfortunately, I've heard rumours that he preys upon baby ducks : (

mariiana capela fotografia said...

I love it. Nice work rick :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like he got his feathers ruffled for some reason... maybe he wasn't getting enough tossed his way?! heheheee!

He sure is a beauty... WoW!

Rick said...

LOL - now THAT would be a sight, Dawn - a bird in a bikini ! (maybe not in the UK ? ;-) Yep - dressed for a beach in Canada in March !

Ha ha, Darlene - yep, he was out for dinner alright - fish on the menu ! Thanks.

He was quite fashionable, wasn't he, Monika ! Not sure if this one got a handout - he might have had to help himself !

Thank you, Marty - he was dressed the nicest of all the herons I shot ! Some non-fishy bisous pour toi !

Unknown said...

Too fancy for the beach . . . Probably he was invited to a Beach Gala :-D

Greetz,


Joseph

Rick said...

Thank you, Magda ! He certainly was the best-dressed fisherman on the beach !

Thanks Stewart - he was a magnificent one ! Glad to hear you've got full-out spring; enjoy after that winter you had !

Thank you, Ruth !

Hey Tammy - thanks for checking; I'm no expert either on Florida birds - I checked out both types before I decided on it being a grey based on the photo I saw here. Either way, I thought he was a looker ! ;-)

Rick said...

Thank you, Michelle - I agree, that's the beauty of photography to be able to capture what the eye would miss.

Thanks for clarifying, Leslie - I had my doubts. Maybe you should send yours down here where he can learn to fish ;-)

Thank you very much, Mariiana !

You might be right, Tricia - there seemed to be a pecking order at the beach and I'm not sure where he was in it - I was just focused on his attire (no pun intended ;-) Thank you !

Rick said...

LOL Joseph - if he was, he sure was early - unless it was the high noon gala ! ;-)

Soraia said...

Thanks :D
Beautiful photo :D

Laura~Pretty Pix said...

What a fascinating, and strange, bird. Great capture!

Marisa said...

Fantastic shot my friend. I never saw it!
Good night and happy day tomorrow!

becky said...

He's adorable! Much cuter than those alligators! :)

Rick said...

Thanks, Soraia ! ;-)

Thanks for dropping by, and your comment, Laura; I agree - fascinating.

Thank you, Minu - I hope your week is going well !

Oh Becky - I thought you would have liked those gators ! Perhaps a subject for your next project (?) ;-)

Anonymous said...

LOVE this!
Rick, I've looked at all your pictures since I was last here and you are doing remarkably well. As much as I love reading all your stories, I just don't have the time!

S. Etole said...

very stylish ...

Gabriela Pana said...

very speciale

Rick said...

Hey - welcome back, Avery ! Thanks for stopping by and having a look - I'll drop by also to see what you're up to now.

Yes, very well-dressed, Susan ;-)

Thank you Gabriela !