Camargue Birds
13 June 13
Posted at 10:54
White Stork and Chicks
I recently took a few days away from the Rana Plaza project and went to France. After a couple of days in Aix we went on to the Camargue. This meant I could spend time at Pont De Gau, a bird reserve just outside Saint Maries de la Mer. I went there a couple of years ago for a brief visit and vowed to go back and spend longer there. The Camargue has a host of wildbirds both resident and migratory but this massive reserve has dense populations and is a photographers dream. I have a level of interest in wildlife and birdlife in particular. It's not my favourite photography genre (probably because it is so difficult) but I enjoy being out there at one with nature and am thrilled if I manage a reasonable image. Here are a few of the images I have processed so far.
Grey Heron - I love Herons, other than in my pond, to me they are the Pike of the birdworld. I could, and did, watch them for hours. This is my favourite shot of a Grey Heron so far. An imature Heron landing.
It looks like something prehistoric and it defies logic that it can fly as well as it does.
Another, more mature, Grey Heron in flight.
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This majestic example is guarding the nest
And here is the chick the Heron was protecting.
I have a series of images taken over about 15 minutes as this Gery Heron manouvered it's catch into it's gullet. A delicate operation as the fish was alive for much of the time and the Heron did not want to drop it. Eventually it was swallowed whole. I'll spare you the pictures they are gross!
Another Heron species - the Cattle Heron.
The Camargue is famous for Flamingos - I find difficult to photograph as their eyes arte never sharp enough for my liking.
A two headed Flamingo?
Their colours are best at sunset an dawn - at other times the sun bleaches the colurs out.
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These are Little Egret chicks practising the feeding ritual when they make the parent regurgitate food. They like me waited patiently for the parent to arrive. It was a long wait up to an hour betwen visits. Then a frenzied minute or so whilst the four chicks aggressively had their fill and off the parent went to catch more fish.
Here is the real thing
Now it's manic as all the Little Egret chicks attempt to feed.
That's your lot for now says Mum.
This is a Black Winged Stilt - such a graceful bird. Here is one gently sitting on her nest.
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Another Stilt wades looking or food.
And still those Egrets are feeding