This time of year, I seldom get the time to just take a few hours of personal time to shoot the types of things I enjoy for pleasure instead of for profit. Yesterday, after several weeks of both work and rain, I took my Spring walk on the Shingle Creek Nature Trail accompanied by my 200mm F2.8L.

A few months ago, I traded my 70-200mm F4L for the 200 Prime. I liked the versatility of the zoom but I didn't like the fact that it was a bit soft at 200mm. So, trading in versatility for IQ seemed to be a good idea and I've used it sparingly since I purchased it but always with good results. Still, I didn't feel as if I'd given it the shakedown I owed it. Yesterday was in the low 80s here in Orlando and I started out with a potty break for Moxie. How does the Prime work for relatively close portraits? Here's an example.



While Moxie was doing her thing in the yard, we were being watched by the "Peanut Gallery" more than willing to share his/her opinions on the matter. I have no idea what type of bird this is but it stayed with us the entire time she was out.



That got me thinking about birds along the Nature Trail so off I went to see who was out at mid-afternoon. The recent heavy rains have flooded the wetlands surrounding the stream and given the birds ample food sources. At the start of the hike, I spotted a bunch of Ibis off in the swampy areas and stopped to photograph them.







Farther upstream, I spotted what I believe is a Tri-Colored Heron. She was close enough to get some shots of but far enough so I really couldn't get anything tight enough.



I gave her a wide berth since I knew I could circle back to her and continued on the trail. I spotted a Small Blue Heron in the water about 50 yard ahead of me but could only get a few shots before he took off.



With no birds to shoot, I turned to some wildflowers in the area: first, the Small Blue Flower followed by the Small Purple Flower.





I started back toward the car and heard -- and spotted -- some deer off to the side of the trail but they weren't close enough for any shots. I carefully walked back to where I had spotted the Tri and crept as close to her as I could get for one last shot.



And, crossing the bridge on the way to the car, I spotted a Limpkin in the Creek. This is only the second Limpkin I've ever seen so it was pretty cool.



Overall, it was a very satisfying couple of hours. I'm very pleased with both the IQ and the versatility of the 200 F2.8L. I know I should have used it with the 1.4X extender but for this shakedown, I wanted to test the lens itself. It's definitely not as flexible in terms of use as the zoom but it's IQ at 200 is very, very nice. As is it's speed. It should be the right tool for ring candids as well in large venues. Nice lens and a fun outing.

Jim

Beautiful photos - I just love herons, they are so elegant.

Diana

Hey Jim,

Thanks for sharing. I think my favorite of the series, besides the two flower shots, is the last shot of the Limpkin. I have never see one before, and I appreciate the educational experience. :P Do you do a lot of birding? How did you know the bird's ID?

James

Love the bg on the bird on the rail. Great 'macro' shot on the flower. Thanks for taking the time to share.

Did you have your 1.4x on for these?

James,
no I don't specifically do a lot of birding but we have so many here in Orlando that I've been forced to learn a bit about them. The Limpkin is pretty rare for me. I've only seen one other and that was down at Lake Toho in Kissimmee and when I posted a pic on this forum, nobody else could identify it either until I guessed about a Limpkin and Durwood Edwards confirmed it.

The proliferation of Herons and the multitude of different types has made me check my Wikipedia every time I come in from a wildlife shoot. I'm learning. Absolutely love the colors.

Jim

Preston,
no, I left the 1.4X at home for this shoot. Wanted to see the native resolution of the lens even if it meant I couldn't get as close as I really needed to. Some of these are pretty severe crops and yet they seem to hold up pretty well.

I'm really starting to love that lens. If I can just force myself to use it on a tripod, it will turn out some truly sharp images. I really have to improve my wildlife technique. However, I find it hard to move stealthily with the camera/lens mounted on a tripod. Of course, that could be an excuse for just being too darned stubborn to change my shooting habits .

Jim

Jim,

Your first photo looks like a northern adult mockingbird. I was never a bird lover but in my search for the four legged creatures to photograph, I ended up falling for the birds that are all around us here in Florida. We are lucky to live in an area that many birds live or visit in the winter.

Thanks for the ID. She nests right behind our house and is very curious when I have the puppy out. Cool bird.

I've never been a birder myself but how can you live her and not be impressed with all the fabulous birds that live here or pass through during the seasons? I need to learn more about them but I love the opportunity to photography them. My one quest is a great shot of a Cardinal. My mom loved them and it would be really nice to have a pic of that particular bird on my wall.

Jim

Looks like it was a nice day!

We should do a birding day when I'm down your way in November. I've done Spring in FL, but not fall.