On the Fly

I really like Blue Herons and there were quite a few on the river when we visited Colorado Bend State Park. Captured this one as he flew by me and my kayak.

Heron Mirror

Found this heron in one of the marshes on the Charles Kuralt Trail in North Carolina.

Heron Heights

I love watching blue herons in flight. Such majestic birds. Capturing them flying can be quite a challenge though. Being on a kayak helps you get closer, but being able to put down your paddle and grab your camera in time when they decide to fly can be a real challenge. Shot this guy on Lake Bastrop on the 1st of February. Great day to be on the water.

Danger Spillway

For more info on this photo, check out my blog at http://www.stevecoylephotography.com/Blog/Exploring-the-World.

Adolescent Blues

This is as close as I've ever gotten to a Blue Heron in the wild. This adolescent heron apparently had not had many encounters with humans and did not fly away the second I got too close for comfort on my kayak. Only thing I was disappointed in was that I still had my ISO cranked up to 1000 for some shots I was taking earlier in a dark area. Given that, this is still a pretty sharp image. You can even see the spider web coming off the twig and strung in front of the heron.

Looking Back

Saw this little guy in Stanley Park in Vancouver in May. Quite brave as he sat there and watched me taking his photo.He never moved while I got my shot, giving me plenty of time to get it just right.

Elusive Egret

There were not many egrets on Brushy Creek Lake last weekend as have been there in the past, but I did manage to make a nice shot of this one as he kept an eye on me and my kayak from high above.

Heron Hunter

Captured this heron eating his lunch in Armand Bayou in Houston, Texas. And yes, he did manage to get this fish down. It was pretty amazing watching him ingest the fish. We never thought he'd be able get his throat opened wide enough to swallow it whole.

Stand Still

This Blue Heron waited patiently for me to take his photo as we were kayaking around Armand Bayou in Houston this fall. Most of the time they will take flight long before I can capture an image like this, but this guy was unafraid. There had been another photographer there in a canoe taking his photo before I paddled up on my kayak. He was a real poser. :-)

Colorful Peacock

For Mother's Day my wife and I made an excursion to the Mayfield Nature Preserve in Austin after seeing another of our friends posting a photo of a peacock they saw there on Saturday. I had been to the preserve before in the winter, but my wife had not. In addition to seeing the peacocks I was also looking forward to seeing the gardens which were dorment the last time I went there. The gardens did not disappoint and I made some nice shots of the area, but the peacocks are the real attraction as displayed by this one showing off his colors.

Hawk Eye

Caught this guy cooling off in the bog in our front yard when I heard the other birds in the neighborhood carrying on. By the time I was able to grab out my DSLR he had flown from the bog, but the other birds were still carrying on so I knew he was somewhere close. He was drying out in our front oak tree surveying the scene. I was able to get close enough with my 70-200 zoom maxed out at 200mm to pull off this shot. Glad he hung around long enough for me to grab his portrait before he flew off chasing prospective dinner. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Watching You

This cardinal did not like seeing another male in its turf and was not going to be happy until it chased it away. Little did it know that cardinal wasn't going anywhere as long as it was there too. The owner of the truck was out fishing at Martin Dies Jr State Park when this was intrusion was occurring back at his pickup. If he sees it, here's the proof for your insurance agent regarding why your passenger side mirror was all scratched up. I'd definitely say this was an act of nature. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)

Neighborhood Raptor

One of the broad-winged hawks that have taken up residence in our cul-de-sac. This one was finishing dinner in one of the trees in our front yard. They have their nest in our next door neighbors tree. We hear them throughout the day and often see them, but this is the best shot of one I've gotten so far. According to Audobon they are uncommon in this area so we feel lucky that they have decided to reside in our neighborhood. They apparently have an abundance of food and I know they have plenty to drink with all the ponds between us and our neighbors.Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)