A big bird on Thanksgiving Day

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A big bird on Thanksgiving Day

November 27, 2014 by Mike Powell

I started my Thanksgiving Day early with a big bird. No, I wasn’t preparing a turkey—I was sharing a quiet moment with this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Huntley Meadows Park, the local marshland where I capture a lot of my images.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Portraits, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Huntley Meadows Park, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day | 18 Comments

18 Responses

on November 27, 2014 at 4:03 pm | Reply Dina

Beautiful captures, Mike!
A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, have a wonderful time!
Dina
- on November 28, 2014 at 6:06 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Dina.
on November 27, 2014 at 4:47 pm | Reply hercules97

I love your posts. They are really amazing, and I see the growth of your skills. I am passionate about my nature photos, and have been doing them for maybe 10 years. That being said, I stopped for about a year due to computer problems. Your posts have revived my passion, and I have a new computer, and am actively photographing again! Thank you for the inspiration and Happy Thanksgiving!
- on November 28, 2014 at 6:06 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. As time passes, I am enjoying more and more the process of capturing the beauty of nature (and especially wildlife) and sharing that beauty with a community of other like-minded folks. I appreciate your kind words and wish you the best as you too explore the natural world.
on November 27, 2014 at 6:24 pm | Reply tybeetabby

Blue herons are one of my favorites. Happy Thanksgiving.
- on November 28, 2014 at 6:02 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. The Great Blue Herons stay with us throughout most of the winter and I am always happy when I see one.
on November 27, 2014 at 6:40 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

Those are great. I love the eye.
- on November 28, 2014 at 6:01 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lyle. That eye is definitely eye-catching with its distinctive shape and color.
on November 27, 2014 at 10:51 pm | Reply uthamz

Nice shots , Mike ! Happy Thanksgiving !

utham
- on November 28, 2014 at 6:00 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. Great Blue Herons are one of my favorite birds and I never get tired of photographing them.
on November 28, 2014 at 3:49 am | Reply dog biting its leg

Reblogged this on dog biting its leg.
on November 28, 2014 at 9:07 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

I’d rather see a big bird in a pond than a pan. Nice shots! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
- on November 28, 2014 at 5:45 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I was hoping to see a wild turkey (I’ve only seen them once in my park), but had to settle for the beautiful heron.
on November 29, 2014 at 6:25 pm | Reply nliakos

Your photos clearly show why the heron is called ‘blue’! Happy Thanksgiving, Mike.
- on November 29, 2014 at 7:11 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for the wishes. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful too.
on December 1, 2014 at 12:52 pm | Reply Marie Keates

What a lovely series of photos.
on December 2, 2014 at 6:33 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

Love this face!! What a beautiful creature to share a quiet moment with~
- on December 2, 2014 at 7:10 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. It was definitely cool to start my day with the heron. I’m happy that I was able to pass by him without disturbing him so that he could go back to sleep or back to fishing for breakfast.