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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Herons, Egret & Snipe Page 6
Image Taken on 23 Nov 2011
at 09:02 Image of day on 29 Dec 2011
This young heron came to check out the meadow while there was
still frost on the grass. This is the third visit (at various
times) we have spotted him hunting in the rank grass so it must
be worthwhile for him. The large image is the bird reasonably
alert, but a couple of minutes later the neck had folded into the
relaxed position oblivious to the camera perhaps 25 metres away
looking through a window.
(Techie: First image 600mm + 1.4
Teleconverter, second with converter removed and the scales left
unchanged.)
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20111229_d01_20111123_0902_057+0904_064 heron on meadow path on frosty morning poised & then neck folded (crop and insert montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Mar 2010
at 09:35 Image of day on 01 May 2010
A woodland shot of a mature heron quietly waiting for a meal
to appear, as to opposed to actively hunting.
He didn't catch anything this time then wandered back into the shade.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20100501_dc1_20100321_0935_002 heron on round pond bank against leaf litter and tree trunks (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 May 2022
at 05:44 Image of day on 15 Jun 2022
Out on a dull morning shortly after an 'invisible' sunrise we unexpectedly find a Heron
on the grass margin outside the South hedge. This patch is an especially good place
to feed on worms, and about 10 Rooks were also spread over the area probing the ground.
 03 of 55 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20220615_df3_20220508_0544_299 heron outside east hedge takes off towards camera (@7fps erratic) 03 of 55 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 08 May 2022
at 05:44 Image of day on 15 Jun 2022
The Heron sees us and decided to leave, but unexpectedly flies towards us before
veering to the right to fly over the south-east corner of the
hedges.
These are close to accurately positioned. The camera was struggling to maintain
focus in the poor light, the gaps between frames was somewhat erratic.
 33-35 of 55 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220615_df3_20220508_0544_335-337 heron outside east hedge takes off towards camera (@7fps erratic) 33-35 of 55 (approx montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 May 2022
at 05:44 Image of day on 15 Jun 2022
As the bird turned the corner against the bland sky, the bird gets caught in the
swirling wind and started to make all sort of interesting twists. We have no way
of building an accurate flight montage, so here an interpretation of about 1 second
of flight. These are in proper left to right order but unknown relative positions.
 38+41-43 of 55 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220615_df3_20220508_0544_340+343-345 heron outside east hedge takes off towards camera (@7fps erratic) 38+41-43 of 55 (impression montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 May 2022
at 05:44 Image of day on 15 Jun 2022
Finally the Heron starts flying North down the East hedge and we have some trees
to provide a frame of reference for accurate positioning.
 47-49 of 55 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220615_df3_20220508_0544_349-351 heron outside east hedge takes off towards camera (@7fps erratic) 47-49 of 55 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Aug 2020
at 09:44 Image of day on 13 Sep 2020
This branch fell from a tree at the brook in the Spring storms, but this is the
first time we have seen a Heron using it as a perch.
Although some 70m away the bird wasn't pleased to see us, and after a
couple of minutes decided to fly to the other side of the brook.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200913_df3_20200804_0944_036-042 heron perched on dead branches flies along brook edge 01+02+04-07 of 17 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Aug 2020
at 09:44 Image of day on 13 Sep 2020
The Heron continued the flight against shaded foliage, gradually picking
up airspeed. This image is exactly the same from rate and width before
re-scaling as the take-off above, so comparison is meaningful.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200913_df3_20200804_0944_044-048 heron perched on dead branches flies along brook edge 09-13 of 17 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Aug 2020
at 09:44 Image of day on 13 Sep 2020
The last frame before they disappeared into the shade of the trees.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20200913_df3_20200804_0944_050 heron perched on dead branches flies along brook edge 15 of 17 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Dec 2010
at 15:26 Image of day on 06 Feb 2011
10 minutes later with the light fading the bird grabbed and
quickly swallowed something we never saw.
Turning round the bird did a wonderful shake out of it's feathers
just as a moorhen wandered down a grass path behind the heron.
 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20110206_d01_20101215_1526_146 heron shaking out feathers after hunt in thawed meadow (ponds iced) (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 31 May 2015
at 13:06 Image of day on 29 Jul 2015
A Heron is occasionally visiting the Duck-shaped pond.
Here the bird is on the bank and taking off.
The bird upper right should be roughly where the head of the middle image
is, so we have moved it to make an 'impression'.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20150729_d01_20150531_1306_013+16+17_fb6 heron spending a few minutes on bank of duck pond and takeoff 2-4 of 5 (impression montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Mar 2008
at 13:31 Image of day on 11 Apr 2008
Heron(s) are still hunting in 'Round' pond and this one spent 30m wandering
around. We caught the moment that it left, springing upwards before disappearing out of frame,
something we hope this little montage expresses.
.jpg)
Ref: 20080411_d01_20080321_1331_018-021 heron take-off from round pond montage(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2008
at 16:02 Image of day on 04 May 2008
Yesterday's newt eating heron finally got startled and took off.
Fingers were not fast enough to catch the launch, but the
wonderful wing shapes during lift-off do make a good sight.
This image should animate showing about a second during the
takeoff as 6 images.
Ref: 20080504_d01_20080417_1602_532-537 heron takeoff from duck pond anim.gif
Image Taken on 20 Mar 2009
at 14:59 Image of day on 11 Apr 2009
Herons are a great subject - majestic & ruthless killers.
These two images are an accurate montage probably about 0.5 seconds
apart of a heron lifting off almost vertically.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20090411_dc1_20090320_1459_582+586 heron takeoff from round pond 04+08 of 11 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Apr 2017
at 17:36 Image of day on 17 Jun 2017
We caught several Heron flights - mostly when the bird saw us when we went out
for a look about.
 02+06+08+10 of 26 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20170617_df3_20170425_1736_096+100+102+104 heron taking off from back of duck pond (discontinuous) 02+06+08+10 of 26 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Sep 2014
at 09:09 Image of day on 07 Dec 2014
The departure of a post van persuaded the Heron to leave.
Standing back from the window so as not to be seen (the kitchen
is very dark without lights) the windows frame quickly got in the
way so we only got this launch. This montage is mirrored to give
you left to right movement - the bird actually took off into the
wind TOWARDS the post van.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20141207_df2_20140925_0909_040-042 heron taking off from grass in front of main pond 1-3 of 3 (mirrored montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Aug 2012
at 08:14 Image of day on 08 Oct 2012
This heron was photographed through the kitchen window.
Takeoff was more nearly vertical than appears in this stretched montage.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20121008_df1_20120818_0814_079-0815_083 heron taking off from main pond 1-5 of 5 (horizontally stretched montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Jan 2011
at 14:25 Image of day on 25 Feb 2011
But we did catch it leaving!
This was nearly a vertical takeoff spread horizontally.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20110225_d01_20110104_1425_046-049 heron taking off from meadow 3-6 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Nov 2011
at 12:45 Image of day on 02 Jan 2012
This juvenile Heron that regularly visited our meadow area mostly
took earthworms from in and around fresh mole-hills. It could catch
one every few minutes when it puts it's mind to it. It picks them
up in the beak tip, and then throws them back into the gape.
These two images are about 0.2 seconds apart, and in the next one
(another 0.2 seconds on, not shown) the beak was closed again.
This explains why its hard to see what's happening using only the eye.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120102_d01_20111130_1245_073+074 heron tossing earthworm from tip of beak into open gape 2+3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Apr 2017
at 09:33 Image of day on 15 Jun 2017
For just a few days a Heron spent most of the day hunting on our patch.
We presume that the bird can find things in the water that we fail to see.
This is a montage, photographed through the kitchen window, of the Heron
leaving the pond to walk along the bank.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20170615_e65_20170424_0933_001+003+006 heron visiting main pond then chased away by rook 1+2+4 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
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