Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Last week I noticed there was an uncommon Black-Crowned Night Heron roosting deep within the branches of a tree not too far from my home in Florida (see the last two shots of the video) so a couple of nights ago I decide to see if I could catch him feeding after dark in a nearby stream. I got very lucky and found him right where I hoped he'd be. I lit him up with an Litepanels Astra 6X LED light (which he did not seem to mind) and shot with with my Sony PXW-Z280 and Sachtler FSB-10 head and Flowtech 100 tripod. The Z280 is really turning out to be a very handy camera for wildlife shooting.

4K XAVC-I @ 30 fps (no grading)
Custom Scene File: SDR-BROLL/Z93/A

Re: Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Pretty cool looking bird. I was amazed the light didn't bother him.

Re: Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Not only did it not bother him, he was actually attracted to where I shined it on the water because I think it made the little fish he was hunting jumpy and he could see them better. You wouldn't believe all the fish, turtles, and gators that suddenly took off when the light came on. It was like rush hour in the water.

Re: Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Doug, great shots. The Z280 sure puts out some beautiful video. The movement was so smooth. I have the FSB-6 and Flowtech 75. That Astra 6X LED really lit the shot well. I can imagine the little fish getting excited and making it easier for her to hunt. Are you still on Merritt Island? I am planning another trip down in mid January. Maybe we can hook up again. I am heading down to Patagonia next week. Be safe, Bob

Re: Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Hi Bob, thanks for the compliments. The FSB-6 + Flowtch75 is a good combo for the Z280. I know because I have that setup in addition to the FSB-10 + Flowtech100 that I used for this video. I'm not on Merritt Island but about five miles away. I got this Night Heron west of I-95 near the St. Johns Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy the trip to Patagonia and be sure to let me know if you find yourself in this neck of the woods again.

Re: Black-Crowned Night Heron
 

Awesome footage! Very smooth movement, and well-lit.