Threnody for a Rookery Photo

Photographer’s Note

Threnody for a Rookery

James River near Mitchell, South Dakota

The Great Blue Heron is a majestic wading bird.
They stand 60 inches (132 cm) tall.
The herons nest in large colonies of up to 160 nesting pairs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Heron

This was one such colony. This place was the second largest colony in the state of South Dakota. In addition to being a historian and archeologist my father is a very serious amateur ornithologist .. he took me to this place often as a child and we would sit with our binoculars and watch the vast rookery of these majestic birds.

When I returned home this Spring my father took to the river to show me the flood .. and then we came to this place and he had to tell me of last summer .. when he came to the rookery .. and found the rookery had been destroyed by gunfire .. the bodies of herons were hanging from the trees. A rookery where these beautiful birds raise their children.

He called me the other night to tell me that he had counted 8 birds returning to the place this spring.

ribeiroantonio, AROBN54, zeca, Cretense, Buin, Photo65Net, Silke, gunbud, saylan-cb, Didi, adores, plimrn, anney, parbo, bakes888, vagabondtravels has marked this note useful

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ribeiroantonio (21913) 2007-03-27 22:53

This is a beautiful picture. It is great to see that the sign does not forbid taking pictures!!! It is a very sad story you tell us in your note. Do you know why it happened?
Antonio

AROBN54 (10757) 2007-03-28 0:10

Oh, John. Why would anyone do such a thing? Your photo is extraordinary. I love the warm light and the way it backlights the trees. And then the trees and that light are reflected again in the water. It's beautiful. It has a very lonely feel to it. I am glad some of the birds are returning anyway. I REALLY like the "No Hunting" sign. Best wishes,
Shelly

zeca (20026) 2007-03-28 0:19

Hey John, how are you doing!
Very nice crop, enhancing the trees line and cutting off probably the black portion on foreground. The sky is special..
Regards,
Zeca

evanrizo (456) 2007-03-28 3:51

Yeees John, I like it very much, especial with the sign: No Hunting, really very good. -:)
I like the lightness here very much, the photo is good composed and the figurs from the trees and the water give the best effect here.
TFS
Evan

Cretense (56072) 2007-03-28 12:43

Hi John!

This is an absolutely stunning photo! Great choice of the panoramic framing and great composition. Amazing colours and really nice silhouettes. Most important, beautiful atmosphere. Congratulations!

Hercules

Buin (37634) 2007-03-28 13:17

Hallo John!
A really impressive picture, especially in combination with your most interesting and touching note. A ot everyday contribution at TE. I like it...
Greetings from warm and sunny Germany!
Frank

Photo65Net (43084) 2007-03-28 13:31

John,
I like how the water appears in this one.
Atmopshere is very nice, and the light and exposure well managed.
Very nice,
Regards,
JB.

Enidlareg (2309) 2007-03-28 15:56

Hello john,

The James River is always more wild!!!
There are many sections of colors in your photo and dimension is quite selected.
Regards
Geraldine

izmirli (3155) 2007-03-28 18:12

merhaba dear john
wonderful ponoroma picture.wonderful silhouettes.well done.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

gunbud (27851) 2007-03-28 20:33

Hi John,
Another hauntingly beautiful early morning image with stunning soft light. The terrible story of the murdered birds was somewhat softened by the eight returnees this spring.
Regards, Tom

danyy (68738) 2007-03-29 3:01

Bonjour John,
un coin qui se prête bien aux balades reposantes, celle où l'oeil a le temps de s'attarder sur tous les détails, y compris les couleurs du ciel, les teintes reflétées sur la neige, les reflets dans les eaux.
L'ambiance est feutrée et calme, aidée par ces lumières basses.
Best regards.
Daniel.

saylan-cb (12726) 2007-03-29 3:33

Hi John
This is a great photo.A very good atmosphere and nice POV,well done
TFS/Regards

Didi (36084) 2007-03-29 12:53

Hi John
Interesting moment for taking picture.
You have done a good large version, but I think that it was better to be closer from the shore for the water reflections on the foreground.
It was only a suggestion.
Cheers.

adores (15515) 2007-03-29 17:44

Hi John!
What a place! what a story!Hope they will be safe there now.
I like this photo, the colours, the reflexes on the water, the silhouettes of these trees. Seems a magic place by this time of the day.
Best regards, Anabela

plimrn (19624) 2007-03-29 20:13

Hi John,
The elegant detail of the tree silhouettes against the bright sky contrast sharply with the depressing story in your note. It's a good thing you had your small daughter with you to bring joy.

I mourn with you and your father the wanton destruction of this breeding ground. It is hard to believe that people can be so filled with hate and anger; especially in a rural area that should lack the urban pressures. HLJ, Pat

parbo (10970) 2007-03-30 21:38

Hello John,

Your story reminds a lot of things… . I like your panoramic shape with large version that shows beautiful details. Of course sky and reflections with spectacular silhouettes of trees are wonderful. Congratulations.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

jemaflor (39357) 2007-03-31 12:41

Hi John,
Very nice colours for this sky, the light on all this landscape give an original and beautiful result, well also this format, well done.

capthaddock (28640) 2007-04-02 17:50

Hi John - this is quite special, the creepy light and seemingle devastated trees seem fitting to the macabre story, the placement of the no hunting sign especially. Give a bunch of bored idiots guns and beer, something like this is bound to happen.

bakes888 (18189) 2007-04-04 5:49

Hi John. You tell as sad tail of mindless destruction and hope for the future. Nature has one thing on her side, Time, and lets hope she has enough of it to repair the sins of man. Excellent photo. Well captured and presented, very poignant. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

vagabondtravels (6103) 2007-04-04 6:17

Hi John

Nice comp and warm colors. The trees provide some great repetition. The no hunting sign kind of interupts the natural beauty of the place by adding an out of place human element. Anyhow really well done.
Ben

Silke (3023) 2007-04-04 14:29

This is truly heartbreaking, both the story and the actual image. The dark colours you've chosen are truly mourning colours and the dimly seen "No Hunting" sign adds a strong note of irony.
TFS
silke
(back with :)somewhat belatedly, sorry!