Soaring Over the Potomac

Washington, DC is not generally thought of as an adventure destination or as having easy access to wildlife - politicians excluded. The fact is that there is challenging hiking and biking within 30 minutes from almost anywhere in the area, and if you expand your travel time to 1-2 hours, there is a rich supply of challenging nature subjects close to home. It is good to remind myself of this as a lifetime affliction of the travel bug usually peaks in the summer and I yearn to head West to anywhere in the stretch between Santa Fe and Glacier National Park or to head to mid-coast Maine. In these restrained times when I can get an adrenaline rush or worse from simply opening my plunging 401K statement, it is reassuring to realize what is so close at hand. Not a cure for the travel bug, but it sure beats taking two aspirin or something stronger and going to bed until the economy improves!
The blog photo is a Great Blue Heron photographed at Great Falls National Park as it soars over the Potomac River. The lens used, the 70-300mm, f4.5-5.6 VR Nikkor, is one of the great values - and there are few - in Nikon lenses. If you consider the price, about $500, and look at its performance, it is hard to beat. I have longer and faster lenses, but they are also bigger and heavier - and a lot more expensive. When you are hanging over a rock face, trying to focus on a bird's eye and follow its flight - and acutely aware that dropping your rig or yourself would not be very smart - the size and weight of the lens does make a difference.