Crouching heron

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Crouching heron

February 27, 2014 by Mike Powell

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was standing tall on the trunk of a fallen tree last weekend and extended his neck as he looked all around. When he bent down and leaned forward, I knew he was getting ready to take off and I managed to get this shot just before his liftoff.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Canon 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens, crouching heron, Great Blue Heron, heron, Huntley Meadows Park | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on February 27, 2014 at 1:43 pm | Reply naturesnippets

I wouldn’t want in a staring competition with him.
- on February 27, 2014 at 2:11 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn
  
  That’s for sure!
on February 27, 2014 at 5:26 pm | Reply Ed

Great shot he really blends into the background 🙂
on February 28, 2014 at 6:22 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

With that background this must have been a tough shot. That’s a determined looking bird!
- on March 1, 2014 at 9:03 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think that the heron was concentrating really hard for the takeoff and that’s why he looks so fierce and determined.
on February 28, 2014 at 5:04 pm | Reply Sue

Another view of the “poike your eye out” bill (like Phil’s shot today)
- on March 1, 2014 at 9:02 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sue. It’s nice to be mentioned in the same sentence as Phil, whose photos I really admire.
on March 1, 2014 at 3:42 pm | Reply Count Sneaky

The first time I saw one of these magnificent birds in a swamp as a kid, the bird was taller than I, unfortunately I had no camera.