Ardea herodias | Mike Powell

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Ardea herodias’

Heron in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron in a tree, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 18, 2023| 2 Comments »

From time to time I spot a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in a tree, but usually the heron is perched in a distant tree. On Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, however, I did not see the heron until I was almost underneath it. The heron was standing high in a tree that was overhanging the trail on which I was walking. The heron seemed a bit jittery, but instead of worrying about me, it kept glancing up in the sky—perhaps it was worried about the eagles that were flying about that day.

I captured a few images through the branches when I was below the heron and then moved past it a bit. I now had a slightly better view of the heron and was able to capture the final shot as the heron began to lift off from the tree.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Catwalk model

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, catwalk model, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 7, 2023| 4 Comments »

This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was slowly striding through the shallow water at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when I spotted him yesterday afternoon. He seemed to have a swagger in his step, showing off like he was walking on a catwalk and knew how handsome he looked. I really liked his pose and posture and the cool reflection in the water was a nice bonus.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Fluffy heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, green spring gardens, heron, Tamron 18-400mm on February 4, 2023| 5 Comments »

During a recent visit to Green Spring Gardens, a county-run historic garden in my area, I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that looked extra fluffy. I suspect that the heron had just fluffed up its feathers in an effort to stay warm.

Despite the cold weather, the heron was standing in the shallow water of a small, man-made pond, attempting to catch something to eat. The heron seemed to be carefully tracking some prey and plunged its beak into the water several times. During the time that I was observing it, however, the heron was unsuccessful in its fishing efforts.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

At water’s edge

Posted in Art, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 3, 2023| 2 Comments »

I love the way that the coloration of this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is an almost perfect match for the environment where I spotted it last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Great Blue Herons are one of my most frequently photographed subjects, especially during the winter months, and I am always looking for unique ways to capture images of them. From a technical perspective, this image is far from perfect, but its aesthetic appeal really pleases my eye—in addition to the colors, I really like the variety of textures in the photo..

Have a wonderful weekend.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Great Blue Heron in flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, birds in flight, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 27, 2023| 3 Comments »

I was thrilled on Tuesday to capture this image of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) as it flew by me, low over the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I love the way that the heron was stretched out, almost as straight as an arrow in flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron fishing in January

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 21, 2023| 7 Comments »

The weather had warmed up enough that by Wednesday all of the ice had melted at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This made things a bit easier for the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that I spotted patiently fishing in the shallow waters of one of the small ponds at the refuge.

Although he did not catch any large fish while I was observing him, he did catch a number of small ones, including the one that I captured in this sequence of photos.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Napping heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron in a tree, napping heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 8, 2023| 5 Comments »

When I first spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) perched high in a tree on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed that its head was bowed. I figured that it was either praying or napping, probably the latter.

The heron raised its head a little and opened its eyes when I got closer, but apparently it decided that I was not a threat. Gradually the heron’s head started to drop and it drifted off to sleep again. As you can see in the final photo, herons sleep with their eyes closed (or at least that is what it looks like they do).

Sweet dreams, handsome heron.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Squawking heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, birds in flight, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Tamron 150-600mm on January 6, 2023| 9 Comments »

Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) can be quite cranky when they are disturbed and they will often make a loud squawking sound to signal their displeasure. Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I inadvertently spooked this heron and he made sure to indicate vocally that he was not happy to relocate as he flew past me.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

On Frozen Pond

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, frozen pond, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 30, 2022| 5 Comments »

The weather is warming up a bit now in Northern Virginia, but it was really cold on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I was bundled up and so was this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that I spotted at the edge of a small pond that was mostly frozen. It almost looks like the heron had wrapped itself in an extra cloak make of long feathers.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron headshot

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 30, 2022| 9 Comments »

I really liked the way that the light was falling on the face of this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), so I zoomed in close to capture this portrait-like headshot of the handsome heron last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Dangling heron feet

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, birds in flight, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 28, 2022| 6 Comments »

I first became aware of the presence of this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) last week when I caught sight of it lifting off into the air from a small stream at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I swung my camera around quickly and captured a few in-flight shots of the large bird.

Normally I would not post photos of a bird flying away from me, which are derisively referred to as “butt shots” by many photographers. In this case, however, I was quite taken by the way that the dangling feet of the heron stand out in the photos. The heron was flying only a short distance and did not bother to lift its legs. In the second photo, the heron was preparing to land on the large branch that was protruding from the vegetation.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Catch of the day

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 27, 2022| 10 Comments »

I was amazed on Tuesday when I saw a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) snag a really large fish in the shallow waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The heron carefully made its way to a secluded area of the shore where it was hidden from view to enjoy its big catch. It might have been a bit of a struggle for the heron to swallow a fish that large, but I have seen Great Blue Herons swallow fish almost that big in the past.

I had been observing the heron for quite a while and had seen it catch numerous tiny fish as it waded about in the shallow water. Gradually the heron moved to slightly deeper water and continued to look for fish. All of the sudden the heron extended its neck and plunged its head forcefully into the water, extending its wings as it did so. The third image shows how committed the heron was as it submerged its entire upper body.

Once it had grabbed the fish underwater, the heron flapped its mighty wings, as you can see in the final photo, to generate enough force to pull the large fish out of the water. The first image shows the moment when the fish first came out of the water. The second image shows the heron as it slowly and gingerly walked to the shore—it apparently did not want to take the chance of losing its catch.

Tuesday was overcast and cool and up to that point in the day I had not had much success in finding subjects to photograph—this encounter priduced the catch of the day for me and probably for the heron too.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Great Blue Herons in Early October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 11, 2022| 14 Comments »

I love to watch Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias). Most of the time when I see them, they are standing motionless in the water, watching and waiting for prey to come within range. We both stand there, waiting for a decisive moment when the heron will strike.

When I spotted this heron last Friday, he was in shallow water, water that was much to shallow for it to be able to catch a large fish. The heron was hunched over and was making multiple strikes, but I could not tell if they were successful. From the angle at which I was shooting, the heron’s bill looked cartoonishly long and its body seemed much more compact and squat than normal.

Finally, as you can see in the second photo, the heron caught something big enough for me to see. The heron flipped the little fish into the air and I managed to capture the moment when the fish was in mid-air, just before the heron gulped it down. The positioning of the heron and the direction of the light made the heron’s mouth look a bit like that of a mini-pelican.

Later that same day I spotted a Great Blue Heron standing in some colorful vegetation that hid its lower body. Unlike the first heron that seemed to be having fun, this second heron seemed to be stern and intense as it surveyed the marshland. I really like the way that the vegetation in both the foreground and the background was blurred, which draws the viewer’s attention directly to the heron.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron in a tree

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron in a tree, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on October 5, 2022| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year, I sometimes complain that the leaves that are still on the trees prevent me from spotting birds. While that is definitely true for small birds like warblers, Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are so big that it is hard to miss them when they are perched in a tree, even when they are partially hidden by the foliage.

Last week I was walking down one of the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when I heard the unmistakable squawk of a Great Blue Heron. It is hard to describe this distinctive sound, but the Farmer’s Almanac website did so with these words, “The Great Blue Herons “squawk” or croak has an almost prehistoric sound. If you surprise this bird as it is hunting on the water, it will squawk as it leaves, almost as if it’s annoyed by your disturbance.”

After hearing the squawk, I watched as the Great Blue Heron landed in a nearby tree. There was a good deal of foliage between me and the heron, which helped to conceal my presence, but it made it tough for me to get a clear shot of this big bird. Eventually I managed to capture some shots of the heron in a number of different poses. The background is pretty cluttered, but it helps to give you a good sense of the environment in which I found this Great Blue Heron.

Unlike Great Egrets, which migrate south for the winter, Great Blue Herons remain with us throughout the year. Do not be surprised if you see a few more heron shots in the upcoming months. As the leaves fall from the trees and many other birds depart, I suspect that I will be spending more time observing Great Blue Herons.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Morning mood

Posted in abstract, Birds, Landscape, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Bucephala albeola, bufflehead ducks, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, mood, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 23, 2022| 9 Comments »

How do you capture the mood of the moment? I really love the early morning, those moments when the wildlife is just waking up and becoming active and the sun is slowly rising. This winter, though, I have been kind of lazy and a little unmotivated. Consequently I have been generally sleeping through those magical moments or been seated in front of my computer rather than standing outdoors behind my camera.

Recently, though, I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge just after dawn and captured these images, which give you a sense of what I was seeing and feeling on that occasion. In the first image a pair of Bufflehead ducks (Bucephala albeola) were flying past another duck in the foreground. As your eyes make your way across the color-tinged ripples towards the distant horizon, you can just make out successive rows of other water birds.

In the second image, a solitary Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was already at work just off the shore, fishing for breakfast. Though the heron is almost a silhouette, you can just detect the warm sunshine coming from the right that illuminates its chest.

The light is the main subject in the final, almost abstract image. The light reveals the details in the grain of the wood and creates a wonderfully distorted reflection in the ripples of the water. In many ways this image represents photography reduced to its simplest, most elemental form—the interplay of light and shadows.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Playing with his food

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 19, 2022| 16 Comments »

I watched a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) snag a small fish on Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Herons like to swallow their catches head-first, so the heron tossed the fish in the air several times to reposition it.

In the final photo, the heron had finally flicked the fish into the proper position and was preparing to swallow it. I am pretty sure that he was successful in doing so, although the photo suggests that his aim was somewhat less than perfect. I have tossed popcorn, M&M’s, and other tasty treats into the air and tried to catch them in my mouth and can testify to the fact that it is not as easy as it looks.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Early morning heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron in a tree, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 15, 2022| 3 Comments »

The early morning sun was beginning to warm the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that I spotted in a tree last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a perch where I suspected the heron had spent the previous night. I quickly got a few shots and quietly moved on—I think the heron dozed off again after I had passed by.

When I took these shots, I was close enough to the heron that I was able to zoom in with my telephoto lens and capture some wonderful details in the feathers. The sunlight was warm and beautiful during that early portion of the day, part of the so-called “golden hour,” when subjects take on a golden glow. I have gotten a little lazy about rising at dawn, but this day was a pointed reminder of the potential benefits of doing so.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Fishing in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 13, 2022| 7 Comments »

On an unusually warm winter day when temperatures soared into the 60’s (16 degrees C), this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was taking advantage of the conditions to fish in a small pond at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The heron struck repeatedly during the time that I watched him and appeared to be having a good deal of success, although the fish were all pretty small, like the one in the second image below.

It was wonderful to walk about in the warmth and sunshine of a spring-like day, a foretaste of things to come. As I write this posting, however, a cold rain is falling that forecasters predict might turn into a couple of inches of snow.

I personally have had enough of winter this year with an unusually snowy January and am ready for spring to arrive. I feel a little like a child in the back seat of a car during a long road trip, endlessly inquiring, “Are we there yet?

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Wind-blown heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, wind-blown heron, Woodbridge VA on February 9, 2022| 10 Comments »

We finally had a sunny day, so I ventured out yesterday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in search of subjects. I was happy to find an alert Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the open. During my most recent trips to this refuge, the weather was usually cold and overcast, the heron was often hunched over at the far edge of a pond, doing its best to stay warm.

Despite the sunshine, the wind was kicking up periodically, ruffling the heron’s feathers in an almost comical way. His “bed head” reminded me of my youth. I often had a cowlick at the back of my head and I remember my Mom licking her fingers and trying to flatten it down with her saliva.

Unlike the Great Egrets that leave our area when the weather turns cold, Great Blue Herons remain with us throughout the wind. They somehow manage to survive through the frigid weather and occasional snow—I suspect that this heron was not at all bothered by a little wind.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Happy heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, happy heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 1, 2022| 8 Comments »

Smiling is contagious. I can’t say for sure that this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was actually smiling when I spotted him in mid-January at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but he seemed so happy that I could not help but smile back at him. I really enjoy trying to capture the personality of the individual birds when I photograph them and sometimes my wildlife subjects will cooperate with me.

Great Blue Herons remain in my area throughout the winter. It has to be tough on them right now, when many of the smaller ponds have iced over, but somehow the herons manage to find some open water and hopefully are able to catch enough food to survive.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

The long and the short of it

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 10, 2022| 18 Comments »

Do Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) have long necks? If you looked at the first image, you undoubtedly would respond that they most certainly do. If you looked at the second image, though, you might hesitate in responding to my question.

Where does the neck go? In the first photo, the heron seems to have a neck-to-body ration relatively equivalent to that of a giraffe, but a giraffe, as far as I know, is not able to retract its neck the way that the heron can.

I sometimes imagine that a heron can contract its neck like the Slinky that I remember from my childhood. You could stretch out its coils a long way and it would return to its original shape. On a side note, my favorite “trick” was getting the Slinky to walk down a set of stairs.

I do not know heron physiology very well, but I think the heron’s neck is flexible enough that it can pull the neck into a tight S-curve against its body. From certain angles, it looks like the heron’s neck has gotten considerably shorter when it does this.

So what about you? Are you willing to stick out your neck when something grabs your attention or do you tend to hunker down and move slowly and cautiously forward? It is a good question to ask yourself as we begin a new year, full of new opportunities and possibilities. How bold or fearful do you feel?

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Happy heron

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 26, 2021| 9 Comments »

I was thrilled to spot this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) last Saturday as it sheltered in the vegetation at the edge of a small pond at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Initially I took a photo from a distance, but then followed the trail along the edge of the pond and managed to get some closer shots.

Most of the time, Great Blue Herons seem stoic and impassive, but this one showed a lot of personality, especially in the first image. When I asked him to smile for the close-ups, though, he decided he wanted a more serious, dignified look, as you can see in the final two photos. I liked the resulting images and the think the heron would have been happy too.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron on a roof

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 21, 2021| 24 Comments »

It was cold and breezy yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and most of the birds seemed to have taken shelter and were hidden from view. There were large rafts of some kind of ducks visible in the distance on the bay, so periodically I would look out at the water, hoping that some bold bird had ventured close enough for me to identify it.

As I was scanning the surroundings, my eyes detected a bit of motion and I caught a glimpse of this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Normally I see herons in the water or occasionally perched in a tree. This heron, however, was perched atop a duck hunting blind a short distance from the shore. In some years this blind has been used by ospreys for nesting, so there always seems to be sticks piled on the roof that you can see behind the heron.

I am not sure why the heron chose this particular location, but maybe it felt secure and sheltered there. I noted that the heron was perched on one leg and recalled that herons will sometimes tuck the other leg underneath its feathers to keep it warm.

I was careful not to disturb the heron from its chosen spot while I grabbed a few shots and then I moved slowly down the trail in search of additional subjects to photograph.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron at close range

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 9, 2021| 22 Comments »

I was so close to this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge that there was no way I could fit its entire body into a shot. I decided to zoom in on its head and captured this little portrait of the heron as it walked slowly through the water. Ever vigilant, the heron kept its eyes focused on the water, looking for signs of potential prey, and ignored me, though I am sure that it was aware of my presence.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron appetizer

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 7, 2021| 20 Comments »

In the past I have seen Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) catch some incredibly large fish, but the tiny fish this heron caught on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge may be the smallest prey that I have ever seen a heron catch.

Hopefully the fish was just an appetizer and not the main course.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron at low tide

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, heron, low tide, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 26, 2021| 7 Comments »

As I was wandering about in Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Thursday, I could not help but notice that the water levels were really low—the waters of the Potomac River and adjoining bodies of water are definitely influenced by the tide. Large stretches of the land that are normally covered with water were visible.

I spotted an opportunistic Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) poking about in the tidal pools, searching for tasty tidbits. The heron seemed to be having some success, though its “catch” was so small that I could not tell what it was, even with my telephoto zoom lens fully extended.

I love watching Great Blue Herons and am happy that they remain with us all winter, unlike their cousins, the Great Egrets, that depart my area in the autumn for warmer locations.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Headless heron

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Halloween, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Halloween, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 11, 2021| 18 Comments »

The angle at which I took this shot makes it look like there was a headless heron haunting Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week. (As most of you can probably tell a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was showing off its impressive plumage and wingspan this shot.) I think I have been seeing too many Halloween displays at local stores, causing me to see spooky things everywhere.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron and eel

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, eel, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 180mm, Woodbridge VA on September 24, 2021| 22 Comments »

When I first spotted the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on Tuesday, it was standing in the shallow water of a small pond at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I could not tell if the heron was actively fishing, but it did seem to be alert and attentive, so I decided to watch and wait. It moved slowly toward a patch of vegetation and bent over slightly, its head disappearing from view.

Suddenly the heron thrust its body forward, striking without warning. When the heron turned its head, I could see a squirming creature in its beak, but I could not tell what it was. At first I assumed that it was a fish, but when the prey started to coil itself around the beak, I began to wonder if it was a snake. When I examined the images on my computer screen, I began to wonder if it could be some kind of eel.

I am presenting the images in reverse chronological order, because I think the shot of the heron struggling with its prey is the most compelling—I usually try to lead with my best shot, because it is the one that shows up as the thumbnail image for those using the WordPress Reader feed. A few seconds after I took that shot, the heron flew a short distance away, out of range of my camera, and I watched heron subdue and swallow what I am assuming was an eel. The second image provides the best view of the eel, and the final shot shot shows the heron before the action began.

UPDATE: A Facebook viewer has indicated that the catch is probably a juvenile American Eel (Anguilla rostrata).

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Early-morning mood

Posted in Birds, Landscape, Nature, Patriotism, spring, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 7, 2021| 9 Comments »

Sometimes you cannot get your subject to cooperate in posing and sometimes it simply does not matter, especially when you are focused primarily on capturing the mood of the moment, rather than the anatomical details of the wildlife creature.

On a recent early-morning trip to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a distant Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) perched in a tree. The heron was facing away from me and appeared to be basking in the sun, trying to warm up a little after what had been a frigid night. The morning light was beautiful as it illuminated the interlocking grid of branches—in many ways that light became the main subject of this image.

There is a kind of abstract feel to this image that I really like, though it is quite different from most of the photos that I normally take. Somehow it recaptures for me the serenity of that early-morning encounter in a way that a detailed close-up shot would not have been able to do.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Looking for lunch

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 19, 2021| 10 Comments »

As the waves rhythmically struck the rocky shoreline, the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) slowly moved forward, all of his attention focused on one small spot. It was lunchtime on Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and this heron was hungry. I watched and waited and finally the heron struck the water with a mighty thrust. When he pulled his bill out of the water, it was empty.

The heron paused for a moment and seemed pensive, wondering perhaps if he was looking for lunch in all the wrong places.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Shaggy winter coat

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 50D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 8, 2021| 19 Comments »

At the edge of a small pond a solitary Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hunched over, trying to stay warm on a frigid winter morning last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. From a distance, it looked like the heron had wrapped itself in a shaggy winter coat.

The heron did not move from its single-legged pose as I passed, but seemed to be tracking me with its half-opened eyes, judging that I did not represent a threat. There was no need to expend its precious energy in avoiding me.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

%d bloggers like this: