Scenes from Thames *7*, a photo from London, England

Photographer's Note

A lot of birds are living free at the banks of Thames. This Heron looks like to pose for me.

Heron

he herons are the long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron or zigzag bittern in the monotypic genus Zebrilus, form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes. Although egrets have the same build as herons, they tend to be smaller. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks.

The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught with difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, Ardea and Egretta. Similarly, the relationships of the genera in the family are not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate monotypic family, the Cochlearidae or the boat-billed heron, is now regarded as a member of the Ardeidae.

Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises, spoonbills, and cranes, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use reed beds.

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Fis2, papagolf21, ChrisJ, ikeharel, pajaran, pierrefonds, PaulVDV, COSTANTINO, dale54, mcmtanyel, Royaldevon, jhm has marked this note useful

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Fis2 (128717) 2018-06-14 7:11

Witaj Danos!
Beautiful heron, poses for a photo.
Curious place.
Excellent frame, colors and sharpness.
Well done.
Nice afternoon.
Krzysztof

holmertz (73731) 2018-06-14 7:11

Hello Danos,
A great opportunity and privilege to meet such a large and impressive bird so closely. Even more amazing that it's close to one of the world's largest cities. It is very nicely positioned and the photo is perfectly exposed. I like the grey against green and the fine reflections in the river.
Kind regards,
Gert

Tue (59890) 2018-06-14 7:34

Hello Danos,
A good capture of this heron near the river bank. It's very sharp and clear and stands out nicely from the background, especially the fresh green grass.
Lars

papagolf21 (132660) 2018-06-14 7:46

Bonjour, cher Danos,
Superbe posture du héron cendré qui semble poser pour le photographe.
Il faut être léger pour réussir une telle prise de vue.
Amitiés.
Philippe

ChrisJ (140851) 2018-06-14 7:52

Hello Danos,

A superb capture of this imposing grey heron with excellent sharpness and dof. Good color, saturation and lighting. Nice reflections in the bg water. Tfs!

lousat (111857) 2018-06-14 8:12

HI Danos,a perfect pic for treknature too! Lovely capture of the grey heron in its classic pose waiting a fish or a frog to eat,impressive plumage details despite the dark light,well done! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

pierrefonds (84469) 2018-06-14 9:20

Hi Danos,

The composition is well divided, the river, the grass and the bird. The point of view is showing the details of the Heron. The light is bringing out the colours. Have a nice day.

Pierre

ikeharel (92844) 2018-06-14 9:47

Wonderful grey egret picture from a very close range, Danos.
Its feathers shown in fine clear manner.
Kalispera,
Ike

PaulVDV (43452) 2018-06-14 10:51

Hello Danos,
You have been able to approach this heron very closely.
The bird is in a very good posiion so we can see its head, eye and the long beak and can also admire its nice feathers of its wings and tail.
Quite close to the big metropolis you present us the heron in a very pretty natural surrounding.
Best regards, Paul

Silvio1953 (176714) 2018-06-14 10:52

Ciao Danos, great capture of lovely Heron in nice pose, perfect focust, wonderful colors, fine details and splendid sharpness, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

COSTANTINO (83304) 2018-06-14 11:10

Γεια σου φίλε Δάνο
όμορφη φωτογραφία σαν σκηνή ντοκυμαντέρ
Αφθονο πράσινο και ένα ήρεμο περιβάλλον
Η ομορφιά στο μεγαλείο της
Costantino

dale54 (13921) 2018-06-14 11:41

danos hello and good evening...very impressive shot you give us today to enjoy! outstanding work and capture my friend! tfs dale

Nicou (173890) 2018-06-14 22:13

mcmtanyel (44391) 2018-06-14 22:18

Hello Danos,
It's a cute blue heron, nice find.
Regards,
MT

jemaflor (117228) 2018-06-14 23:19

Hi Danos,
well taken, perfect place in your view, nice colors contrast, ideal sharpness, an elegnat bird, tfs.

Cricri (146366) 2018-06-15 1:06

Hi Danos
Superbe jolie capture, pris dans la bonne position, netteté excellente, contraste des couleurs
Bonne journée
cricri

Royaldevon (55916) 2018-06-15 4:03

Hello Danos,

I wonder if you were surprised to see this bird!
We never used to see them in built-up areas when I was young but I remember the surprise I had when I saw some in Hyde Park, in the centre of London!
Anyway, you have achieved an excellent photograph of this elegant bird, strutting on the banks of the river!
It is easy to see its long, water-wading legs, its steely colouring and head markings. There is a nice mixture of grassland and water in the b/g.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

jhm (179454) 2018-06-15 5:05

Hello Danos,

You took the Heron in a wonderful position.
Colours and sharpness are fantastic.
Composition and presentation are superb.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

abmdsudi (73388) 2018-06-15 7:19

Hi Danos
Herons are epitomy of Patience, Persistence, Perseverance! Beautiful pose, great detail and use of dof. Wonderful photo, Congrats
Best regards

emka (127483) 2018-06-15 23:37

Hello Danos, Fantastic picture of this heron. Strange that it didn't flow away and you could come closer. Superb composition, wonderful colors and sharpness.

Kind regards Malgo

gervaso (24037) 2018-06-21 13:32

Hello, Danos!

Very nice capture of this lovely bird looking curiously at you! Beautiful and natural tones of green of the grass, and the light and sharpness are perfect! Wonderful job!

jmdias (81995) 2018-07-13 12:52

danos

very special view showing as nature is getting up in the edges of the famous river. I suppose this personage would be done around 100 years ago.

take care

jorge

maloutim (11685) 2018-08-23 0:28

Good morning Danos,
It's always such a joy to see a beautiful bird in nature and especially to catch it in picture ! Moreover a heron is not necesarily an everyday sight and the bird is furtive, which makes the catch all the more rewarding.
This is magnificent, very sharp against the grassy verge and reflections on the river.
Thanks for sharing and have a good day.
Marie-Louise.