Some birds, like Great Egrets and Green Herons, leave our area during the cold months to overwinter in warmer places. Great Blue Herons, however, remain with us throughout the year. I imagine that it is tough for them to find food, especially when the small ponds where I often spot them are frozen over.
I was happy last week to spot this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There was ice on parts of the pond where the heron was standing, but there were still some open areas. I watched as the heron patiently scanned the water for potential prey and captured this shot as the heron was pulling a small fish out of the water.
It’s a really small fish and I encourage you to click on the image to enlarge it and get a better look at the fish. For the heron, the fish is probably only an appetizer, but at this time of year, food is scarce, so even tiny bits are undoubtedly welcome.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Love how close you got—quiet moments with a Great Blue Heron feel rare. I’m usually at the long end (~918 mm) and they move the second they spot me.
A 600mm zoom lens on a crop sensor camera helps to make distant subjects appear closer. In this case, however, the heron was focusing so intently on fishing that I was able to get an unobstructed shot from a relatively close range.