Winged Wednesday 2/12/2025

Eric Gofreed

Eric Gofreed

Well-Known Member
AlanLichty said:
My wet wings for today feature birds that hang out in the water in the first place.

A couple of weeks ago I posted some shots of Canada Geese chasing some pintails away from a spot they wanted. Here are a couple more shots from that sequence starting with the first goose starting its charge at the pintails. I'm pretty sure the goal was to splash as much water around as possible and make lots of noise.

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Towards the end of the charge the lead goose got slightly airborne while its companions were still running and splashing behind. Some of the pintails can be seen scattering from the desired spot. At close to 100 yards away (shooting at 1000mm) I couldn't really see exactly what was going on through my viewfinder and stopped shooting just before they finished their finale but it looked like the lead goose more or less did a belly flop to finish off the charge just as I had lifted my finger on the shutter.

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At the other end of the spectrum is an Egret landing in the water. I posted a shot of this bird just before it hit the water but this is the next shot in that sequence showing it barely even making a ripple as its feet enter the pond. More adaptive for a bird that doesn't want to scare away lunch like the geese above trying to get some ducks to move out of their spot on the pond.

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Superb photos, Alan! By the way, every wildlife photo I process is cropped—often by 50% or more. A strong crop helps make the subject the true star of the image, drawing attention to its details and impact.
 
AlanLichty

AlanLichty

Moderator
Eric Gofreed said:
Superb photos, Alan! By the way, every wildlife photo I process is cropped—often by 50% or more. A strong crop helps make the subject the true star of the image, drawing attention to its details and impact.
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Thanks Eric - getting more pixels so I could zoom by cropping was one of my goals when I went mirrorless last summer. Adding in a better telephoto lens (100-500mm) and a 2x converter helps even more. The geese were shot at 1000mm and are cropped as well :)
 
Eric Gofreed

Eric Gofreed

Well-Known Member
Alan Milnes said:
Chinstrap penguins fishing

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King Penquins spending a day at the beach

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Great photos as always, Alan! Your Antarctic shots remind me of a classic BBC April Fools’ prank—their 2008 "flying penguins" hoax. On April 1st, the BBC aired a spoof segment narrated by Monty Python’s Terry Jones. The clip, part of Miracles of Evolution, featured CGI-enhanced Adélie penguins magically taking flight from Antarctica and soaring to the rainforests of South America. A brilliant bit of fun!
 
Eric Gofreed

Eric Gofreed

Well-Known Member
murali said:
Have been AWOL for a few months due to too many conflicts. Was in the Everglades last week chasing birds, alligators and crocs. Saw a few birds trying to swallow fish. They all had a tough time. I saw this GBH for over 5 minutes trying to get the job done but it didn't succeed. It went away into the swamp with the fish still hanging from its bills.

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Welcome back, Murali! That headshot of the Great Blue Heron with the oversized catfish is an absolute classic—what an exceptional capture! I'll be in the Everglades on March 30 and 31, one of the rare places where American alligators and American crocodiles coexist. Looking forward to seeing more of your incredible photography!
 
murali

murali

Elite Member
Eric Gofreed said:
Welcome back, Murali! That headshot of the Great Blue Heron with the oversized catfish is an absolute classic—what an exceptional capture! I'll be in the Everglades on March 30 and 31, one of the rare places where American alligators and American crocodiles coexist. Looking forward to seeing more of your incredible photography!
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Hi Eric, the timing of your visit is ideal. I am processing 2000+ images from the national park and from swamps around Naples. If you plan to visit Naples, let me know and I'll suggest a few spots to visit.
 
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