Immature Black-crowned Night Heron camouflage – Nikon D500, f9, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 48mm, natural light
Yesterday morning I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge before the sun rose over the Wasatch Mountains. It had been a long time since I had been to the refuge because of low water levels and reports of fewer than normal birds. It was extremely quiet bird wise and sadly I didn’t take many bird photos. I have some thoughts I would like to share about the refuge but I need time to mentally and emotionally process what I saw yesterday and how I feel about it before I do.
I stopped on the last leg of the auto tour route to take photos of a skittish Western Grebe that dove under the water and out of my view. By the time the grebe resurfaced it was so far to the west that I didn’t take many photos of it.
I was about to drive away from this spot when a slight movement in the phrags caught my eyes. Can you see what I saw?
Immature Black-crowned Night Heron blending into marsh habitat – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Nearly hidden in the marsh vegetation was an immature Black-crowned Night Heron perched on some phrags at the edge of the water.
I saw precisely two Black Crowned Night Herons at the refuge yesterday. One was an adult in flight too far away to photograph and the other was this immature heron in the marsh. I took a series of photos of the young night heron. These were the best of my bird images from the refuge yesterday.
Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron with its eyes on prey – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
For a few seconds I thought I might get photographs of the juvenile night heron catching prey when it slowly stretched out its neck. Whatever the heron saw didn’t become breakfast. After this image was taken the young wading bird moved slightly, retracted its neck, and looked in my direction head on. By then the mosquitoes had zeroed in on my exposed skin so I thanked the heron and drove away.
Immature Black-crowned Night Heron camouflage – Heron circled in blue
In case you couldn’t find the young Black-crowned Night Heron in the first photo I shared I have circled it here in blue. I took this image with a wide angle lens to approximate what I saw with my naked eyes after I had taken the two photos directly above this one that were taken with my long lens.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Black-crowned Night Heron photos plus facts and information about this species.
Very much looking forward to your voice on what losing the flyway will truly mean.
Exceptional camouflage. And great vision.
Very cool!