Snowy Egret

I just returned from a very enjoyable vacation in Jibacoa, Cuba. The resort is at the base of a large tree covered mountain. It was great to see such a plentiful supply of interesting and colorful birds: what a change from Toronto, Canada in winter!

I know that many of you are very familiar with the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula). I see so many beautiful images of egrets in this gallery. However, the bird is new to me and of the many bird behaviors I witnessed in Cuba, I was particularly fascinated watching this bird stir up the mud with one of his big feet to flush out some unknown delicacies. This image shows one of those feet pretty well!

My original intention was to take along my 100-400mm lens on this trip. However, after more testing and comparison with my 400 prime I finally just could not stand the thought of leaving the prime lens behind. So, the zoom stayed home. I missed a few shots because of the lack of flexibility. Also, you’ll see some full frame shots (like this one) that I might have preferred to open up a bit. However, in general, I think it was the right decision. Also, as you will see, I had fun experimenting with my new flash unit and a variety of ISO settings.

I look forward to your comments.

EOS 7D, EF 400mm f/5.6 L, 580EX II: ISO 125, 1/500 s, f/7.1, image is full frame for the 7D (3456 x 5184 pixels (= 18 MP). Some sharpening but no noise reduction.