Great Egret

GREAT EGRET, TARCOLES RIVER, COSTA RICA, JANUARY 27, 2015

Pentax K-3
Pentax 55-300 at 300mm
1/2000 sec. f9
ISO 800

This Great Egret was ambling on the tidal flats along the riverbank when I took his portrait from a moving sightseeing boat. Even though the day was bright and sunny, I kept the ISO high in order to stop motion and capture a sharp image.

Cattle Egret

CATTLE EGRET, LA FORTUNA, COSTA RICA, JANUARY 25, 2015

Pentax K-3
Pentax 55-300 at 300mm
1/1600 sec. f7.1
ISO 1600

Getting a good photo of a bird in flight is a bit of a crapshoot, but in this case it was easy. Dozens of cattle egrets roosted in a nearby tree early one morning, one bird launching itself from a branch every ten seconds or so and passing in front of me in a perfect deflection shot. This is the best of about 30 pictures.