Favorite Photos Posted In 2013
Ailsa has challenged us to show “birds” this week, and Alex Wild has asked about our best nature photos posted in 2013, and so I’ve combined those topics in today’s post.
Frequent visitors to this blog know that most of my photos are taken from the waters on the Charles River watershed area, and the selections presented here today were all taken from the cockpit of my floating kayak.
Some have more scientific value than others, such as the squirrel swimming or the great blue heron using a twig as a tool. Some have more artistic merit than others, such as the egret flying above shimmering waters or the great blue heron camouflaged against the rocks. Some are quirky and just for fun, such as the green heron with erect cap feathers channeling Don King.
One thing they all have in common, though, is they’re wild creatures observed in nature, in her many moods. I hope you enjoy them!
After the photos, there’s a poll where you can let me know which are your favorites. I’ve never done a poll before and so I hope you participate.
Great blue heron eye-to-eye with dragonfly.
Squirrel swimming with a duck a few days after the hurricane.
Great blue heron holding a huge plastic bag she pulled from the muck along the shore.
Great blue heron molting.
Great blue heron fledglings practice flying.
Great blue heron lands a large fish – detail.
Egret submerges her head to land a fish.
Great blue heron reacts with erect cap feathers when dive-bombed by a hawk.
Great blue heron fishing using a twig to attract the fish – sequence.
Egret flying directly at the viewer.
Green heron channeling Don King, alarmed by nearby fox, with raised cap feathers.
Egret channeling Isadora Duncan.
Egret Channeling John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever
Great blue heron in molt preening.
Great blue heron diving beneath the surface.
Great blue heron carries prize feather like a dog carries a favorite bone.
Great blue heron showing off a gorgeous wing.
Great blue heron photobombed by a duck.
Egret flying above subtle, shimmery reflection almost like a puddle of moonlight.
Dragonfly teasing great blue heron.
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Thanks to Alex Wild for the Show us your best science nature photos prompt.
Thanks to Ailsa for her Where’s My Backpack: Birds challenge.
Thanks once again to Stewart Monckton for the Wild Bird Wednesday prompt.
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Remember: Walk softly and carry a long lens.™
© 2013 Babsje. (https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com)
Great Blue Heron, Egret, Dragonfly, Squirrel
Posted on December 30, 2013, in ardea herodias, Art, Bird photography, Egret, Great Blue Heron, Nature Photography, Photo Essay, Photography, postaday, Weekly Travel Themes, Wild Bird Wednesday, Wildlife Photography and tagged nature photography, photography, postaday. Bookmark the permalink. 36 Comments.
Babsje Heron 
These are truly magnificent images
Many thanks for visiting and for your kind comment, I’m glad you like these photos!
I voted for that last series of three images, I really like that one.
Great, thanks for your kind words and fir jetting me know! That was a fun photo to capture.
I voted for several, but I liked them all.
Ah, many thanks, that’s wonderful. I appreciate your kind words!
Awesome shots! The heron with the fish is cool, but I also love the shots where the wings are spread and in flight. Great post.
Thanks so much for visiting and for your kind compliment! I’m glad you like it.
They’re all great! One of my favorites is “Green heron channeling Don King,” because it also looks like it is channeling a Greater Roadrunner with its raised cap feathers. 😉
~Lindy
You’re right,there is a resemblance to the roadrunner! Good observation. Many thanks for your kind words, glad you like them!
I voted, but it was hard to pick any one favorite. Each one is great in it’s own unique way. Happy New Year, Babs. 🙂
Thanks Bob! You know, you can pick as many as you like – its set up for multiple votes. (I believe in vote early, vote often apparently! 🙂 ) Happy New Year to you and Ann, too!
I did vote for three, and could have voted for more. One was the Heron with the giant pike, and one was the series with the dragon fly. It told a unique story, as did the other that I voted for and that one was the heron using the twig as a lure.
Thats wonderful, all good choices Bob. Looking forward to seeing what you see through your lens in 2014!
I love them all!!!
I’m so glad to hear that, thank you!!
Stunning captures!
Many thanks, John! Looking forward to more delightful recipes from the Bartolini Kitchens in 2014!
All really, really good good; I can’t imagine going through your many unique and interesting photos from 2013 and trying to choose just a handful of favorites! The heron with the large fish and egret with wings out/head submerged are at the top of my list, but so are — I give up! Happy New Year!!!
Nick, thanks for your very kind words once again! I’m so glad you like them. And thanks again for all that you have shared this year, especially that gorgeous snowy owl last week!
Egret submerges head is poetic!
Many thanks for your kind compliment, Ben, I’m glad you like that photo, as it was one of the very first egret photographs I took. Thanks for visiting and commenting here!
That heron using a twig to attract fish is incredible, I must have missed this earlier.
Hi Robert – I’m so glad you like it, it was definitely surprising and fascinating to see her fishing with that twig. Also, a year later, a different GBH was observed using a feather as a lure to attract fish. Thanks fur visiting and commenting!
So very hard to choose, but I narrowed it down to 1, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 17. Very nice of you not to make us choose just one! 😉
Thanks so much for participating in my survey! I’m glad you found so many to vote on.
Do we get to see the poll results?
Yep, thanks for asking! My thinking is to wait until next week, when people are returned from their holidays, and share then. That will give more folks a chance to participate without being influenced by the responses of others. Last I checked, all except 2 photos had received votes, good turnout, too!
Wow!!! These are fantastic shots!
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words, glad to hear that you like the photos!
These are all stunning! You are such a talent! Bravo~
Hi Cindy – thanks so much for your generous compliment, I’m glad you like them. Speaking of liking posts, I thought your recent “rattlesnake phobia” post was a tour-de-force, just wonderful!
Fantastic images, Babsje. Love them all, but especially the one with the dragon fly. 😉
Many thanks,I’m so glad you like them! The dragonfly photo is one of my own favorites,too!
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