On The Move

 I think I am spoiling you yet again with this selection.

This great white egret is such a stunning bird and having shared the pictures in my previous post of the bird actually feeding these shots show it in the process of hunting and were all taken moments before it caught a fish.

In flight the egret keeps its long neck tucked back over its body and its legs outstretched but when hunting it keeps its neck stretched forwards as it remains focused on its target.

There is so much that I like about these images, the graceful shape of the bird with wings outstretched, the movement in the feather; as they are affected by the updraft when it lands and the way the ends of the feathers curl upwards as they act as air brakes, I like the blue tint on the feathers in certain light, and the warm glow of the wings as they are backlit by the afternoon sun and then in the final image I like the shadow of the birds curled neck seen through the wing.

It was hard to walk away as this beautiful bird continued to fish close by but I hoe you will agree that the pictures I have shared over the last few days have made it worth the time I spent observing and photographing it. It felt like a real privilege to be there at just the right time.

Canada Eh!

Well, Canada Goose...

This is the same goose as I shared a picture of recently but on a different day. In the first shot it looks so serene gliding across the pond, barely creating a ripple and with a sharp reflection. I loved the light in this image and from the colour of the water you can see that it was a sunny day with clear blue sky.

A fem moments later it decided to preen itself and take a bath and I captured a few shots as it stretched its back and its wings. You can see how it uses its tail to balance as it rises up out of the water and it keeps its neck bent to keep its centre of gravity just right, perfectly poised.