It is hard to anticipate when a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) will strike. Herons have an amazing amount of patience and will often stand stationary for extended periods of time and then without much warning they will strike swiftly and violently.
Last week I was fortunate to be able to capture a sequence of shots of a heron in action at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I was amazed at how deeply the heron plunged its head, neck, and upper body into the water, creating quite a splash in doing so.
It seemed like the heron kept its head underwater for quite a while, but my sense of time is sometimes distorted in these kinds of situations. In any case, I impatiently waited for the heron to lift its head, anxious to see what it had caught. The heron slowly lifted its head and eventually it became clear that it had caught nothing but water. It may be my imagination, but I seem to see a mix of disbelief, dismay, and disgust in the heron’s expression in the final photo.
Undeterred, the heron returned to fishing and I moved on down the the trail, undoubtedly happier with my “catch” than the heron was with his.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Love it!
Thanks, Tricia. It is a lot of fun to capture an action sequence like this one. I was watching the heron quite closely and detected a subtle sign that suggested a strike–and I was right. 🙂
It’s fabulous, Mike. Such skill. You’re inspiring me to write a poetry sequence about the heron’s movements. lol.
Go for it! 🙂
Great timing, and nice clear results 👏👏
Thanks, Ted. A bit of luck and a bit of anticipation. 🙂