This morning is cold and the radar/satellite shows that it is snowing and cloudy outside. I can’t see any snow on the ground because it is still pitch dark as I write this but if there is snow it is probably just a skiff of the white stuff.

Earth Shadow with a Great Blue Heron, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, FloridaEarth Shadow with a Great Blue Heron – Nikon D200, handheld, f5.6, 1/100, ISO 1000, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 122mm, natural light

The clouds overhead will likely keep me from going out into the field today but who knows, if it does start snowing hard I may have to jump into my Jeep and head down to the local pond to see if I can photograph birds in falling snow.

Where I was and what I was doing eleven years ago this morning is a completely different story. At the time I was living on the west coast of Florida and the temps were warm enough that I was in the water of the Gulf of Mexico or belly crawling through warm, sugar sand to photograph birds on the shore.

I arrived at the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park before dawn and headed out towards the Gulf to look for birds and to my delight I soon realized that I had the beach to myself. I wandered north while listening to the birds that were calling, the quiet sound of the water lapping against the sandy shore while enjoying the sea breeze.

When I reached the north tip of the beach I could make out the form of a Great Blue Heron in the pre-dawn light so I dropped down on to my belly and slowly but steadily sand-crawled towards the resting wading bird.

Because I arrived at twilight that morning and had a clear sky I knew that I could take photos of the Great Blue Heron with the blue colored Earth’s Shadow and pink Belt of Venus behind it.

Just days before I had taken close up images of another Great Blue Heron with the Earth’s Shadow behind the heron for my first time ever and I was thrilled with those images, they are still some of my favorites images of this species.

However; eleven years ago today I decided I wanted to take a different approach and create images that showed the heron smaller in the frame with more of the Belt of Venus and Earth’s Shadow in the background so I backed up my zoom to accomplish my goal.

I believe that my strategy worked out quite well plus I even captured a pinkish glow in the surface of the water.

I see the Earth’s Shadow and Belt of Venus in Utah but usually as I am heading out into the field first thing in the morning. I haven’t photographed a single bird here with the Earth’s Shadow and Belt of Venus behind it though I think I know just how to accomplish it.

I know this, I want to try. I just need the right atmospheric conditions, a little ingenuity and a bird.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Great Blue Heron photos plus facts and information about this species.