222/365 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

I know I’ve got a big appetite but this fish even made me feel full.  Its amazing the size of the fish that these Grey Herons can swallow.

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, Hungary, May, 2014.
Canon 5DIII with Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens.

166/365 Grey Heron

Another image of a Grey Heron taken with the Canon 100mm macro lens. Wanting a composition that was slightly different, I placed the heron in the bottom right of the image to show off the clouds in the background.

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, Hungary, June, 2012.
Canon 1d MkIV with Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens

 

165/365 Grey Heron

Photographing birds with a shorter focal length is always difficult due to the shy nature of most species. Using a hide at water level this Grey Heron proved to be too close to photograph with a 500mm so I swapped to a 100mm macro lens just at the moment of take off.

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, Hungary, June, 2012.
Canon 5D Mk3 with Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens

126/365 Grey Heron and Coots

I flushed this heron whilst walking around the reserve and unfortunately for the heron it flew straight towards a coot nest.  The adult coots then proceeded to launch a full scale attack on the heron for being too close to the nest.  The heron then had to change direction quickly, which ultimately lead to the heron slowing down and landing about a foot away from the coots nest, which lead the coots to become even more aggresive because of this.  In the end the heron flew past me instead of the coots which in my opinion was the safest option in the first place! Whether the heron thought that the coots would be more concerned about me and tried to take one of the coot chicks or whether it was just an honest mistake I dont know.  It happened extremely quickly and this is the one of the images of the pair of coots scolding the heron! 😉

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea and Coot Fulica atra, London Wetland Centre, April, 2012.
Canon 5d Mk3 and 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens.