American Bittern

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

D3 200f2+TC17EII (340mm) f/5.6 1/640 ISO1600 +0.7EV Matrix HH

Major surgery PP blurred foreground reeds extending from left edge to tongue including one right through the head/eye (no clear shot) only the prey is in the clear.

Taken at the Cosumnes River Preserve in the Central Valley of California.

My first Bittern (of any sort)... was hunting just adjacent to a boardwalk (surrounded by reeds).

Thanks for looking, commenting...

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Dave Leroy]

Good for you Michael. Always fun to get a first.
These birds do hang out in the heavy reedy stuff and hard to get an open shot at them.
I like the prey and the action and focus is where it needs to be.

Nicely done.

[Alfred Forns]

Excellent catch !!! Could even try zeroing in more on the bird and prey !! .. way to get the first bittern :)

[Lance Peters]

Congrats on the first Bittern - secretive little buggers.
Would try to highlight the action more of possible.
Good one!!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Michaael, Nice action on a difficult bird that is not often out in the open. Seems to be a greenish caste on the image and agree about highlighting the action more...

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Dave, Alfred, Lance, Dave,

Thanks much for the comments... I'm working on another version, portrait 8x10 aspect, which focuses the action and also removed the overall greenish cast (mostly left over blurs from very close reeds) but the blurred reed in the lower left now is very distracting and needs removal (sigh)...

Cheers,

-Michael-