Hunting in the Heather

[William Dickson]

Canon 1DX Mk2
f/4 400mm DO Mk2 with 1.4iii
f/5.6
1/640
ISO 1000

Well this came to a surprise to me...A Grey Heron hunting on a mountain in Red Grouse territory ..they usually hang around lochs, rivers and the sea. I hope they don't get a taste for Red Grouse eggs and chicks. I watched it for a while and it was feeding on which looked liked, small thin white snake like creatures, about 1 inch long....whatever they were.

Will

[Brian Sump]

Will, this is another beautiful BIE (bird in environment... yeah just made that up).

Herons are quite common but a field of lavender and greens does wonders. What flowers are those?

It's great how the Heron is positioned in a "v" where the foreground plants break. I also like how the tall grasses frame the subject. Nice room for feet.

Might wish for a little more eye contact, but overall pleasing to my eyes!

[David Roach]

Love the environment (heather) and the hunter. As a very close relative to our great blue heron, I can tell you they are very opportunistic and varied hunters. I have seen ours eating chicks, rabbits, mice and others including in open fields. Once saw one swallow marsh rabbit whole. Love the clear, well exposed subject as well. Don't need HA as this beauty is clearly occupied and you have a great view of the face/eye. TFS

[Daniel Cadieux]

Neat habitat indeed. I can only imagine if all the flowers were open like at left! I love the scraggly head feathers - the marks of a rather young individual! Could the saturation be pumped up more?

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Thanks for the back story.

Image works well. I like the subtle colors. Agree to add more saturation

[Jonathan Ashton]

I was amazed when I saw this Will I have never seen nor would I expect a heron on the moors - what a sighting! :cheers: Quite a part from the novelty I think you have a super mage gorgeous colours and details. I am racking my mind as to what the prey may be but nothing at all comes to mind.

[annmpacheco]

Hi Will, Pretty environmental setting. I like how the heron is tucked away and the heather colors surrounding. Sure wish there was a head tilt your way, never the less your image is pleasing to my eye. TFS

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Will, lovely image showing the bird in the environment of the Moors. If your Grey Heron is anything like our Great Blue Heron (which it very closely resembles) it will eat anything that it can fit in it's mouth and throat. Thank you for sharing.

[John Mack]

What a treat this must have been. Love the setting with those flowers and that vegetation. Framing is bang on.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the setting and composition. Very well done Will.

[Arthur Morris]

Ditto all the positives above. The BKGR looks noisy to me (but nobody else has mentioned it, not even Wesley (Brian Sump). Here I am wishing that we could see more of the flowers on the lower left. At times when doing bird in habitat (BIH) stuff, it pays to go a lot wider. Here instead of 560mm I was thinking of something between 100-300 mm. Another option to get the rest of these flowers on the left in the frame would be to re-frame with the subject on the right looking out of the frame.

with love, artie

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Will, lovely enviromental image here, and the Heron is nice and sharp. Good plumage detail showing up on the Heron too.
Im afraid, what ever they call it, but Herons will eat chicks of other birds, including other Heron chicks. I have witnessed this first hand. Hopefully your Grouse population stay safe - not that Herons will decimate their population. :w3

[William Dickson]

Thanks guys....appreciated.

Will