One of the few duck species noted at the Venice Rookery was the Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). A coot-like bird, this “common” bird is quite colorful as an adult … with a thick bill and frontal shield that usually is red and yellow, and sometimes all yellow. This bird tends to be a bit shy, but patience won out and eventually I was able to photograph one:
When I feature some of the birds I found in the Everglades, I’ll have some nice images of one of the Moorhen’s “cousins”, the Purple Gallinule.
Photography Equipment Used:
- Canon 7D body
- Canon EF500mm, f/4 IS lens
- Gitzo 1258-LVL carbon fiber tripod, with Wemberly gimball head
- ISO 800 (top photo) and 400 (bottom photo)
- Aperture f/9 (both)
- Shutter 1/320 sec. (top photo) and 1/1250 sec. (bottom photo)