Do you photograph some subjects over and over again, hoping to get better (or at least different) images? I never grow tired of observing herons and egrets at my local marshland park. Most of the time, they (and I) are standing still, waiting for a brief moment of action, generally when they are fishing or when they take off into the air. These birds look gangly and awkward when on the ground or in the water, but when they are flying, it’s like watching an aerial ballet.
I took this shot last Friday as a Great Egret (Ardea alba) was just taking off from the muddy waters of one of the small ponds at the park. I was thrilled to be able to capture both a shadow and reflection of the graceful bird. Although I often have trouble getting a good exposure and frequently blow out the highlights, in this case I as able to capture some of the details of the wing feathers.
The egrets will be migrating out of this area soon, but I will continue to have the herons to keep me occupied in the upcoming months (and I’ll be trying to get more shots like this one).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow!
Fantastic! Right place, right time, right everything.
Thanks. I’ve learned from experience that the only way to get decent shots of birds is to keep shooting. I have a zillion shots of flying birds in which you can’t see the heads or the wings are in the shadows. There is so much luck involved, but as someone rightly said, you are bound to miss miss one hundred percent of the shots that you don’t take. So I will keep on shooting.
It is beautiful. I love seeing them take off, fly, and land…I am so amazed by that.
I probably don’t need to make this comment (again) but I love pictures of birds in flight and I love reflections. Combine them and WOW!
I certainly understand the photograph and repeat cycle. My batting average on hawks is unbelievably low but I still get excited every time I see one. I like that lowered wing in your shot.
Absolutely beautiful … mesmerizing!
Beautifully clicked! Loved the fact that you got the reflection and the shadow as well! Regards
Thanks. It was a pretty fortunate capture in which so many elements came together for me.
This deserves more than just clicking “like”. I really enjoy your image. All that time and practice really pays off when you get this kinda picture.
Thanks. For me, this is a case in which persistence paid off. I’ve tried a similar shot a whole lot of times, but in this case I was able to anticipate the egrets actions and was ready to shoot as it took off.
It isn’t often you get a shot from above a fling bird. This one is excellent and should be framed and hung on someone’s wall.
Thanks. It might be my wall. 🙂
That is a beautiful photo and well worth all your hard work. I take photos of the same places again and again too but the different light and the weather means they’re always changing.
Thanks. Whether it’s landscapes, wildlife, or even people, I think it’s good to shoot and reshoot the same subjects. I think that one thing that drives many photographers is the search for better images (and different ones).