Black-crowned Night Heron in habitat

[Bill Dix]

On the last day of the month, I was torn as to which final b&W bird to choose: chickadee, kingbird, gull, another tern? In the end I settled for this BCNH from Brigantine last fall. Cropped from horizontal.

D7000, 500f4 + 1.4, ISO 1600, 1/320s @ f/7.1, +0.3 EV

[Karl Egressy]

This is so nice, Bill.
The long grass and especially the plant in the water creates a very nice sense of habitat.
Nice head turn, eye contac and details

[Joe Senzatimore]

Beautiful detail in the bird Bill. I would crop some off the bottom as I don't think you need the yellow vegetation in the FG. It's bright and pulls the eye away.

[PhilCook]

I think I too would crop off the yellowish plant in the foreground, but great eye on this bird, nice light and natural habitat...love the night herons and I wish we had more than one type here

[Frank Schauf]

Beautiful portrait, great details and eye contact.

[Satish Ranadive]

Magnificent portrait of BCNH in habitat.Love the pose and great details.

Regards,
Satish.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks everyone. I figured some wouldn't care for the veggies in the foreground. Last fall I posted another frame of this guy, with a better pose and without the veggies, so fro this frame I decided to keep them in. I thought they made for an interesting comp, but they do distract from the bird.

[Peter Dexter]

I don't mind the crop Bill. Works for me. Just saw about sixty of those birds this morning at Laguna de Sonso here in Colombia.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Peter. Sixty at once is pretty amazing.