Upclose and Personal with a Heron

[brewmaster15]

Went out today looking for whatever was there to take pics. Its was a nice sunny day, rare for us lately..chilly just about freezing but by the ocean it was chilly willy. Didn't see much until I saw a Great Blue heron on the far side of the marsh. Decided to see if I could get closer so off I trekked. I saw the heron through some reeds and slowly approached. It was busy hunting and I was in the shadow. All that time spend and I could not get a clear shot..too many reeds in the way and it was too breezy . Everytime I had an opening, the wind picked up.. It was still pretty far away...disappointed I was about to leave and it literally walked right over to me. I could not believe it. These are usually very skiddish here when by themselves...It just kept getting closer to me, totally oblivious. I have never been so close to a heron..too close at some points to focus, 5 -6 feet. Talk about a really cool experience.

These aren't cropped images... The feather details and Bill details are just real nice.

_AJS7289 by Al Sabetta, on Flickr

_AJS7437 by Al Sabetta, on Flickr


Kind of felt bad here for it.. must have gotten some reeds stuck while eating...took him some time to dislodge it...

_AJS7299 by Al Sabetta, on Flickr

_AJS7301 by Al Sabetta, on Flickr


But it all worked out...

_AJS7456 by Al Sabetta, on Flickr


Its funny how things just sometimes work out

al

[Second Hand Pat]

Cool series Al. Was that a minnow it was eating? The great blues here are not skittish, perhaps too many tourists.
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Cool series Al. Was that a minnow it was eating? The great blues here are not skittish, perhaps too many tourists.
Pat

Its a type of mumichog killie fish... they are common in our
Estuaries.

Pat when ever I photographed in areas with high densities of herons and birds they associate with that they are much more at ease. .. its a numbers Game I think. Safety in numbers. Here in my area I spent all day walking and hiking over several miles of wetland... One heron.. one egret ... and pretty much no other birds. Typically I have to really work to get close to herons and egrets here.

I have found even up here ,like in the fall , during migrations when they are much more numerous as is the food, that they are more approachable.

[Second Hand Pat]

So not a tourist thing lol, sounds like you need to come to Florida Al
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Pat I think about it all the time...lol

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat I think about it all the time...lol

Maybe one day it will happen
Pat

[jwcarlson]

GBH here are fairly numerous during the warm months, but I don't know that I've ever really seen two together. And they usually don't hang around for you to get particularly close.