The tide was going out on Monday when I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the shallow waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The heron was walking slowly, stopping periodically as it scanned the water, patiently searching for prey. I decided to stop, wait, and watch the heron.
I know from long experience that herons are very patient—it is hard to remain constantly alert for extended periods of time, hoping to anticipate the moment when the heron will strike.
On this occasion, I was able to capture some of the action when the heron plunged its head into the water. Time seemed to slow down as I waited to see what, if anything, the heron had caught. As you can see in the first photo, the heron’s catch was a modestly-sized fish. The heron flipped its head to the side to reposition the fish—herons swallow fish headfirst in a single gulp. The final photo shows the fish’s final repositioning in the heron’s long bill. A split second later the heron tilted it bill upward and the fish disappeared from sight.
As I looked a these three photos, I was struck by the way that the heron’s long head feathers moved around as it twisted and turned its head. That little detailo revived distant memories of the 1970’s when I had long hair—I remember flipping my head from time to time to keep the hair out of my eyes.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 