Coming in for a landing, this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stretched out his wings to their full extent and the sight was mighty impressive. The wings stretched out so wide, in fact, that I couldn’t fit them entirely into the frame. As he reached the ground, the heron gradually pulled in his wings and I was able to get a couple of additional shots of the impressive wingspan.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Brilliant captures Mike. Impressive beastie 😀
Thanks. The blue herons are impressive when in flight, but certainly are not as fierce in their demeanor as hawks and eagles. On occasion I have gotten within five meters of one and neither of us was intimidated in the least.
That middle shot really illustrates the huge wing area these birds have. No wonder they just seem to float when they take off. Terrific photos, Mike.
Thanks, Sue. They don’t seem to have to push very hard at all to take off. They seem so much more graceful in the air than on the ground, where they seem kind of gawky.
I love to watch them fly; they are so graceful and powerful at the same time.
The big herons are certainly among our most impressive birds. Eagles, ospreys, and owls belong, of course, but another of my very favorites is the pelican–especially when several of them are gliding in tandem. Must do a post dedicated to them soon, come to think of it. Really good shots, Mike!
Thanks, Gary. I think that I need to travel to capture pelicans in flight. Here I can get herons and egrets and vultures (which are pretty impressive too).
I love watching blue herons in flight, but its not something you see every day.