I enjoy photographing a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) taking off and getting airborne. It takes a lot of effort for the Great Blue to get airborne so the whole process seemed to take place in slow motion providing me the opportunity to shoot 70 frames. Each frame is entirely different due to the shape of the wings, positions of the head and neck and contortions of the Great Blue's body. This is frame #7.
A Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) had been diving for fish along a narrow channel in a salt marsh. As it came to the end of the channel it surfaced a few feet where was was standing.
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stays in one place for long periods of time and you never know when it is going to take off. Instead of watching and waiting for the takeoff, the Great Blue will announce itself just before takeoff. It makes deep, hoarse, gutural squawks before taking off and a soft "fraawhnk" when in flight. Always enough time to get a shot like this.
