Canon Elan IIe, tripod Sigma 170-500 at 300mm Fuji Provia 100 f16, 1/60

What bird?

There's a little park in Delray Beach, Florida, called Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Right in the middle of a pretty urbanized area not far from Miami, with boardwalks throughout, it's a favorite spot for speed-walkers, and for birds of an incredible variety. And the birds are quite acclimated to proximity.

I was attracting a fair amount of attention while I had the camera and big lens set up, pointing apparently at a patch of leaves, but I'd seen the green heron (Butorides virescens) take this perch for hunting purposes – I was hoping to get a clean catch on film. After explaining to a couple of people where the bird actually was, I finally just started inviting them to look through the viewfinder. I kept my hand on the shutter release just in case my subject chose that moment to make his catch. Alas, both his attempts and mine were in vain.

I suspect the perch served not only as camouflage, but also shaded the surface of the water from the bright morning sun, allowing the heron to see beneath the surface without any glare.