[Leica] Those egrets? They ARE related to dinosaurs

[abridge at dcn.org (Adam Bridge)]

After Sunday afternoon I have no doubts that birds and dinosaurs, large viscious
meat eating dinosaurs, are related.

We passed a field that was being heavily irrigated. It was filled with birds:
herons, egrets, hovering raptors, and a bird I don't recognize. (No big deal
THERE).

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-15-W.Yolo-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

We stopped the truck, waiting for the birds to return (the hunting was much
better near the edges of the field for some reason).

A raptor (a kite perhaps?) hovered waiting for a rodent:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/E100VS-20-W.Yolo-crp-crv-shrp.
jpg>

Just moments after I shot this it plunged into the foliage, captures a huge dark
form, so large it had trouble flying with the struggling creature, and then,
pursued by crows, sought a location where it could enjoy it's repast.


The most effective hunters were the great egrets:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-03-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

This one has just ingested a critter and is hot on the trail of another.

(Warning - if you are attached to small dark fuzzy wet rodents then you probably
will want to stop at this point)

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-08-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-09-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

it's amazing how something so ferocious can be so pretty at the same time:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-15-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-16-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

There were other birds in the field, also a kind of heron I believe. I'm
guessing maybe black night herons although perhaps not:

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-30-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

<http://www.splitsecondfilms.com/2004-05-Valley/Portra160NC-31-Birds-crp-crv-
shrp.jpg>

I the half-hour or forty-five minutes I watched I didn't see them catch
anything.

All of these shot with the 560 on R8 with either Portra 160NC or E100VS.

Your comments, suggestions, criticisms are most welcome.

Adam