187 - Night Heron

From 365 Project

This is a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Apparently they are fairly common in our coastal area but I don't remember ever seeing one close enough to identify it. He was concentrating on the water looking for fish. Here's what the full bird looks like. Canon 40D, 1/500 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, zoom at 320mm focal length.

186 - American Lotus

From 365 Project

The American Lotus is an aquatic plant native to North and Central America. It's large blossoms can be be over ten inches in diameter. This picture was taken at the Lotus Garden Park in Virginia Beach Virginia. The park is located near the intersection of Sandbridge and Colchester Roads. In the 1980's upstream pollution wiped out the native Lotus plants here. Twenty years later with more attention paid to water quality, the plants are returning to their former glory. Canon 40D, 1/600 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 400, 180mm focal length.

185 - Fish Dinner

From 365 Project

This Great Egret has just caught his dinner. He was fishing in a body of water in Norfolk Virginia known as the Hague near Mobray Arch and Olney Road. The Hague and Mobray Arch are part of Norfolk's historic Ghent neighborhood. Canon 40D, 1/400 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400. 400mm focal length.

180 - White Wings

From 365 Project

This young great egret was testing his wings in a large nesting colony located in the Campostella Heights neighborhood in Norfolk Virginia. There were hundreds of egrets in nests high up in the pine trees. While beautiful to watch, the nesting colony can make a real mess. Some residents appear to have cut down or severely trimmed tress to rid themselves of the messy birds. Canon 40D, 1/500 @ f/9.0, ISO 400, zoom at 400mm with a 1.4x extender.

165 - Osprey

From 365 Project

I was watching this Osprey circling and diving for fish just off the beach at Sandbridge, Virginia today. She has just caught a fish and is flying off with it in her talons. The shot is not tack sharp focused as I would have liked but she was moving fast and I was happy enough with it to feature it as today's post. Canon 40D, 1/500 sec at f/13.0, ISO 200, 254mm.

137 - Marketing 495

From 365 Project

Personalizing your graduation cap is a tradition for many college graduates. At CNU's graduation today, there were many clever messages but this one captured what's on the minds of many graduates in this tough economy. I bet she's a marketing major. Canon 40D, 1/15 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600, 400mm focal length. Hand held with the help of image stabilization.

129 - Bald Eagle

From 365 Project

This is one of the pair of American Bald Eagles that nest at Norfolk's Botanical Gardens. This year they hatched three eaglets. Canon 40D, 1/320 sec at f/16.0, ISO 400, 400mm focal length. More photos from today's shoot.

108 - The Look

From 365 Project

This female Canada Goose was sitting on her nest just off the bank of Kemps Landing in Virginia Beach. I didn't see her at first until I got too close and she hissed at me. She never took her eyes off me. Canon 40D, 1/200 sec at f/9.0, ISO 400, Canon 100-400 zoom with 1.4x extender yielding a 560mm telephoto shot supported by a monopod.

94 - Rose Garden Promise

From 365 Project

It was a beautiful day for weddings at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. There were two weddings in progress while we there and this couple was illuminated by the late afternoon sun while taking their vows in the Bicentennial Rose Garden gazebo. Canon 40D, 1/250s at F/10, ISO 200, focal length 285mm.

68 - Unison Turn

From 365 Project

Two sailboats execute a turn in unison in the late afternoon sun on the Hampton Flats in Hampton Roads Harbor. Canon 40D, 1/80s, f/16.0, ISO 100, 400mm, two stop polarizer filter.