Yellow Crowned Night Heron

[James Newman]

I shot this little beauty at Brazos Bend and was pretty pleased. Not only pleased with the images, but just pleased to have gotten close enough to get them. These birds are usually pretty jittery and hard to sneak up on. I only have 300mm to work with so I have to do a lot of stalking to get any good shots. I think this one was so busy looking for his dinner that he didn't even pay me any mind.

I think the first shot is interesting and I like the fact that the tree is in the foreground. I used that tree as a shield while trying to get closer to the bird. It sort of captures that feeling, at least to me. I have had people say they wish the tree was not there and that it is distracting to them. That's ok. I'm not going to crop it out and I am happy with it. The second image I just like because I was able to get a pretty sharp focus on him and on his catch. The entire sequence of events was great viewing. I have images from the time he first started stalking the crawfish (I'm from Texas so you can read this as crayfish if you want) to the time he caught it, prepared it, and ate it. It was very interesting to watch. He held the crawdaddy in his mouth and twisted his head very fast in circular type motions, until each of the pinchers shook completely off. Once he got the pinchers off, down it went. I had never seen that before.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l319/jnewmanco1/DSC_5883.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l319/jnewmanco1/DSC_5913.jpg

[Asher Kelman]

James,

Good set of captures. How did it get the pieces from the water?

Asher

BTW, what camera? Does the 300 have IS?

Asher

[James Newman]

Thank you Asher. My camera is a Nikon D40. The lens is a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S VR. I'm assuming VR is the same as IS. I had the VR turned off however because I had the camera on the tripod.
The heron, after he caught the crawfish, flew over to dry land and did his meal preparations Then he took it back out on a log, minus the pinchers, and ate his lunch. These birds are wiley predators. There is a big bird sanctuary called High Island over near Galveston. There is a rookery there where thousands of migratory birds such as Roseatte Spoonbills, herons, egrets, Ibis, etc, all come to nest and breed every spring. The Night Herons are notorious for "visiting" the nests of these birds when they are not looking and snatching up the unattended baby chicks. They will then take them back to their own nest and feed them to their chicks. Nature can be brutal at times but it all serves its purpose.

[Asher Kelman]

There is a rookery there where thousands of migratory birds such as Roseatte Spoonbills, herons, egrets, Ibis, etc, all come to nest and breed every spring. The Night Herons are notorious for "visiting" the nests of these birds when they are not looking and snatching up the unattended baby chicks. They will then take them back to their own nest and feed them to their chicks. Nature can be brutal at times but it all serves its purpose.

Yes. Nikon IS =~ Nikon VR!

We've had Heron's eating a rabbit and then a pigeon to the horrow of British School kids! These are really Heron_Tyranosaurus!

Asher

[Erik DeBill]

Those are excellent shots of a yellow crowned night heron. We have a place where they roost near downtown, but they're always looking sleepy and unresponsive - unlike your wonderful hunting pictures.

I thought they only hunted at night. Was this one somehow atypical?

[James Newman]

Thank you Erik. It's funny you should mention it but everytime I see them here they are hunting and eating during the day. I was wondering why they called them night herons.