Great Egrets - Greeting

Four photos of a Great Egret returning to the nest and being greeted by the mate.
Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island TX, April 2021.
Camera: Olympus E-M1X Lens: 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 284mm
Settings for all four images: 1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800.

When photographing birds at a rookery, I try to locate a nest near the top of the nesting structure. The male (usually) returning from a flight to gather nesting material or food, will usually approach the nest on a path that is free of foreground obstructions. The female will often stand to greet the returnee and, thereby, rise above some of branches and twigs that surround the nest. This behavior provides a nice photo-op.





David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.