Birds Great Blue Herons Nesting

GvilleRick

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Name
Rick Veazey
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Greenville, SC
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The Conestee Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC, USA has an area where Great Blue Herons return to nest each year. One pair chose a pine tree off to the side of the lake rather than the trees in the middle of the water. I had heard that they were nesting there but never seen them. Yesterday I made a trip out and saw them in action. The male kept flying out and then returning from across the lake with a branch, giving it to the female to incorporate into the nest. Then he decided to work on getting branches from a tree right next to the nesting tree but found it a little difficult to maneuver when trying to return to the nest. All of these were with the a7RV and Sony 200-600 (the first three shots had the 1.4TC attached as well.)

In flight from across the lake:

JRV09906-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
  • 840.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 800


There was actually a third heron at the bottom middle of this shot. It pretty much just stayed there watching.
JRV09945-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
  • 791.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 640


Handoff of the branch to the female.
JRV09962-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
  • 791.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 500


Heading out again, this time to a tree right next door to the nest.
JRV00007-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 800


After some time breaking off the branch and then trying to get through the tangle of limbs in the tree he became visible so that I could get a shot.
JRV00057-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 1600


We watched as the female appeared to call and he again took flight.
JRV00095-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 2000


Another successful trip. This repeated for quite a while.
JRV00100-ARW_DxO_HQ.jpg
  • ILCE-7RM5
  • FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
  • 600.0 mm
  • ƒ/9
  • 1/1600 sec
  • ISO 1250
 
Very nice series
 
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