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.
Mike Powell 