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Posts Tagged ‘Great Blue Heron in a tree’

Heron sentinel

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on September 11, 2024| 1 Comment »

The leaves are still on the trees, which makes it tough for me to spot perched birds, which is one the reasons why I focus on insects in the summer months. Nonetheless, I tend to scan the trees when I am out with my camera, hoping to spot a bird perched in the open.

On Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted an unfamiliar shape through the foliage as I was hiking along one of the trails. As I moved a bit to the side to get a better view, I realized that it was a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Now I know that herons will roost in the trees at night, but it is a little unusual for me to see on in a tree at midday. The bird appeared to be keeping an eye on something, almost like a sentinel, though I have no idea on what its attention was focused.

I moved slowly and stealthily to get a better shooting angle and eventually captured this image of the heron. As you can see in the photo, the heron was definitely alert and paying attention—it did not appear to be relaxing in the tree. Maybe the heron felt like the king of the world and was taking a moment to survey his realm.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Looking skyward

Posted in Birds, Christmas, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 25, 2023| 8 Comments »

When a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) looked skyward on Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it helped me create an unusual portrait of one of my most frequently photographed subjects.

This past Saturday I helped to decorate my church in preparation for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. One of the items that was set up was a manger scene that included the three wise men. They did not arrive at the stable at the moment of the birth of Jesus, but a bit later—we celebrate the visit of the Magi on 6 January.

According to the second chapter of Matthew, the wise men travelled from the East with their eyes turned skyward, like those of this heron, following a star in order to find and worship Jesus. It has become a bit of a cliché, but I firmly support the idea that “wise men still seek Him.”

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating today and I pray that we all can join in the message of the angels in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests,” a peace that has seemed so elusive during 2023.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Hidden heron

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on October 16, 2023| 3 Comments »

This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was so well hidden that I could not tell if it was perched on a small raised portion of the ground or in a tree when I caught a glimpse of it during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. My view of the heron initially was mostly obscured by the thick vegetation, but I managed to get a somewhat clear shot of it by climbing on top of a conveniently placed park bench.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Great Blue Heron in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on August 27, 2023| 7 Comments »

I inadvertently spooked a Great Blue Heron (Aredea herodias) on Wednesday at Occoquan Regional Park and captured this first image as it flew up to a perch high in a nearby tree. It was really cool to see the heron’s impressive wingspan as it came in for a landing in the tree. The second image shows the Great Blue Heron as it surveyed its surroundings from its new perch.

When I was just starting out in wildlife photography, I remember being shocked the first time that I saw a Great Blue Heron in a tree. I somehow had assumed that they spent all of their time in the shallow water or at the edge of ponds. Little did I know at that time that Great Blue Herons build their nests in the trees and often spend their nights roosting in trees to protect themselves from potential predators.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Great Blue Heron in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 15, 2023| 5 Comments »

As I was scanning the trees for small birds last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) surveying its surroundings from its high perch. I have occasionally seen herons roosting in the trees in the past, but it has usually been earlier in the day—this heron might have decided that it wanted a mid-afternoon nap or at least a few peaceful moments.

Now that I am retired, I have rediscovered the pleasure of naps and a Sunday afternoon nap has become part of my weekly routine.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Heron in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Napping heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Heron in a tree

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

 

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Early morning heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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