Not reef; but rare nature shot

[0p3n Brain]

I got a really lucky shot of this "Black-Crowned Night Heron" getting ready to munch down a large Bluegill.

I was taking macro pictures at the Missouri Botanical Gardens when I saw this bird dive into the water and come out with this bluegill in it's beak.

I was using a Canon D20 with a 100 mm macro (not an ideal lens for this shot but I didn't have time to change!).

 

[stereomandan]

Awesome! Do you mind if I use it as my new background?

Dan

 

[0p3n Brain]

No problem!

 

[marino420td]

Great shot. I'm a fellow SE Missourian. What part of SEMO do you live in?

 

[0p3n Brain]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8094219#post8094219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marino420td
Great shot. I'm a fellow SE Missourian. What part of SEMO do you live in?

Thanks marino420td. I'm in Ste. Genevieve County.

 

[Snausages01]

Very nice shot!

How far away were you?

 

[Crepusculum]

Nice shot!

 

[0p3n Brain]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8094367#post8094367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Snausages01
Very nice shot!

How far away were you?

I was probably about 8 feet. My kids and I were throwing grain feed to the Koi from a walking bridge. The Black-crowned Night Herron was on the bank taking advantage of us drawing the fish in!

 

[VoidRaven]

WOW! Now that is an awesome capture! Well done! Not often you get the opportunity to be that close to the subject to get the shot (unless you have LONG glass) let alone the fact of being in the right place at the right time. That is a great shot!!!

 

[gregr]

That is an awesome shot- I love pics like that.

 

[0p3n Brain]

Now that I know I'm not in trouble for posting off topic, here's the other three decent shots I got before it swallowed the Bluegill.

And another..

Last one before the big gulp!

 

[spline9]

Wow. Thats awesome. These types of shots are the best.

 

[raddogz]

Absolutetly, Gorgeous shots.