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One of the birds I've been wanting to get a picture of is a Green Heron.  I've looked for hours and walked for miles looking for one.  They are common enough around here but I just haven't been able to spot one - that is until this afternoon.  YEAH - I FOUND ONE!   Is anyone else in the same boat - and where's your picture?

Same experience, same bird! Although I'd seen several of them, they always saw me first. I never even got a bad photo of one!! Then, one day my wife & I were walking on a trail when I spotted this one by the creek about 40 ft. below us. I told her," Don't move, don't talk, don't even breathe"!! To my surprise, it watched us for maybe a minute as we stood frozen in place, then went on about its business, but keeping an eye on us. I took several photos as it looked for minnows and such. Then it seemed to tire of me taking pictures of it and flew lazily away. That's the 1st and only time I've been able to get photos of the elusive Green Heron.

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We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
Chief Seattle (paraphrased)

Until recently, mine was a Swallow-Tailed Kite.  In March, I saw my first one, way up in the sky, with that distinctive wing and tail shape.  My next half dozen shots over the next five months were much the same, as were all my sightings.  I really wanted an up-close, intimate shot.  I finally got it at the end of last month. 

Here's a link to the thread with the pics and the brief story.

I haven't picked a new target yet.  I'm mainly just itching for the Fall birds to get here  

Bird Brain:

That's the 1st and only time I've been able to get photos of the elusive Green Heron.

I should mention that the Greenies are kind of special to me, too.  It was once at the top of my want list, but I got really lucky one day at Lake Okeechobee.  We saw three that day, but the cool one was this one that we spotted on the railing of someone's dock.  When he saw us, he didn't fly off, but he retreated back down the railing a bit.  The shot I got of him happens to be my avatar.  That was the day I decided to start birding seriously.

 

Here's mine.  This is actually the 2nd one I saw.  The first one was in a riverbed by my office, on my lunch hour!  I got lucky with that one!

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

For me, it's the wood duck. I've seen them, but they always seem to be on the other side of the lake (it doesn't matter which side I'm on!) Here are my two best (Terrible ) pictures of a female and a male wood duck. Maybe someday...

 

 

 

I am sad now. 

 

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Lifers: 134

Recent additions: Black-throated Green Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Great Horned Owl
Favorites: Osprey, American Kestrel, Reddish Egret

 

The Green Heron pics posted in this thread are spectacular. I have never even seen a Green Heron even though they are around.

Believe it or not, the American Crow is a bird I really want to get a good shot at.

The pic below is one I was hoping to get and I did hit the jackpot earlier this year. I have posted this pic before, but since it was mentioned here's my Wood Duck again.

I was thrilled, believe me.

 

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Sony DSLR A200 camera. Sigma 400mm APO prime lens, Sony 55-200mm lens, Sony 18-70mm lens, Kenko 1.5X teleconverter.

That's a great photo of a Wood Duck, cairnstone! I've gotten a few shots of them, but nothing to write home about!

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We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
Chief Seattle (paraphrased)

That is a beautiful Wood Duck shot!  I got one a few mos. ago but yours is much better!

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

There's no need to wear your Sunday best this time of year..

 

That's a fantastic pic Seattle.

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Sony DSLR A200 camera. Sigma 400mm APO prime lens, Sony 55-200mm lens, Sony 18-70mm lens, Kenko 1.5X teleconverter.

I have a bunch of birds in my collection that are more blur than bird.  I am looking forward to getting a decent male Western Bluebird shot.  I have photographed that bird a lot and have yet to get a good one.  A couple of months ago one landed less than 10' in front of me and I missed the shot.  I celebrated the one below, a Lewis's Woodpecker, after getting a fuzzball ID'd by Randy (RJP) on the first day he joined the forum.  Here is the after shot, then the before...

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Latest Birds: Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Eastern Kingbird, Rufous-backed Robin, Crissal Thrasher

Nice shot, Matt. I have yet to get a decent shot of a Lewis's. I'll keep trying. I finally did get one of a Western Bluebird, though!!

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We did not inherit Mother Earth from our ancestors...... we have borrowed Her from our descendants.
Chief Seattle (paraphrased)

Gorgeous shots of the Lewis' and the Western Bluebird!  I'm like Matt - no decent W. Bluebird pic yet!

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Life List: 139
Latest: Cedar Waxwing!!!!!!!

 That woodpecker is just awsome..