Snow bird - wildlife photography

St. Louis Cardinal
Photograph by Tom Atwood

The winter "storm" has arrived at Photo of the Day. Some sleet, snow and puffed up birds.

Shutter: 1/250; ISO: 800; Aperture: f/5.6; Focal Length: 300 mm

Guesswork

Blue Heron on the Mississippi
Photograph by Tom Atwood

A photograph like this involves a great deal of guesswork. And luck. The heron was flying at dusk, after the sun had gone down along the Mississippi River at Alton, Illinois. The low light meant using a slow shutter speed, and focus was at best, a guess. I took several pictures of this magnificent bird, and one of them turned out. This one.

Shutter: 1/80 sec; Aperture: f/13; Focal Length: 200 mm; ISO 400

Fly Away

Great Blue Heron
Photograph by Tom Atwood

One thing I've learned after years of photographing Great Blue Herons along the Mississippi River - they never fly toward you. 

Shutter: 1/2000; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 400; Focal Length: 200 mm