Waiting for Mom & Dad

Gallery: AvianPosted May 10, 201667 views8 comments

Tricolored Heron Juvenile

Late in the day, the juvenile birds anxiously await the return of the parents which means dinner. Like many of the young, they climb out to a vantage point where they can see the parents flying in from the feeding grounds to our west. I think this image captures the patient hope that the next flight will bring mom and dad home. I love the golden early-evening illumination.

Taken in April of 2015 at the Live Oak Nursery ponds.

D7200, tripod.
1/1000 @ f/7.1
ISO 800
Tamron 150-600mm @ 400mm
Cropped to 14% of the frame. (some nesting areas can't be approached closely)
LR-6, minor exposure adjustments, sharpening.

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Ed Williams on May 10, 2016 at 11:25 PM

I love this Raoul. Nice caption that really fits the mood of a lonely chick waiting for mom or dad to come back. Nice BG, fantastic soft colors and great details. Nice little pin feathers sticking up on the head like a bad hairdoo for a awkward kid.

Registered on December 28, 2010, 636 Posts, 3499 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on May 10, 2016 at 11:51 PM

I like the complimentary BG color of this one and the clean BG behind most of the bird. I do wish he gave you a bit more head turn toward the viewer, but they never seem to listen. sad

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on May 11, 2016 at 12:16 AM

Lovely color palette and a very nice capture. Good detail, including the pin feathers on the crown of the juvie's head. Very nicely done.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on May 11, 2016 at 6:38 PM

I think the whole color palette works great together. Nice detail in the Heron. The leaf appearing to come out of his neck is a bit distracting. It just catches my. Really nice image Raoul.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on May 12, 2016 at 2:59 AM

Raoul,
Fabulous colours on this, and a great pose.

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Raoul Breaux Jr on May 12, 2016 at 10:46 PM

Thanks for the positive feedback--especially regarding the color. That is one aspect of this image I really liked.

Registered on April 27, 2016, 20 Posts, 142 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on May 14, 2016 at 1:58 PM

I really like the setting and comp here Raoul, to my eye the head and beak don't look tack sharp in the larger image. Before I read your details I thought it was likely a depth of field issue but probably more likely that it is only 14% of the frame and the detail isn't holding up at that size. Zooming in closer to 600mm would have probably made a difference in that respect. devil

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Raoul Breaux Jr on May 14, 2016 at 5:13 PM

Thanks for the input Nate!

With the bird on an island, I couldn't get closer. Yes, this was a case where I should have dialed up 500mm, but my lens gets soft right about there, so I reluctant to try it; it may have helped though.

Registered on April 27, 2016, 20 Posts, 142 Comments