Winter Great Blue Heron Photos From Bear River MBR

Adult Great Blue Heron walking on a frosty ice shelf – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge can be a great location to take winter Great Blue Heron photos out on the frozen marshes and wetlands during January. After a few warmer days the ice can start to melt and the open water attracts the herons along with ducks, gulls, swans, geese, and sometimes the Bald Eagles that visit the refuge during the winter.

The open water means that the birds can find food and the Great Blue Herons will hunt along the edges of the ice for small fish.

Adult Great Blue Heron walking slowly on an ice shelf – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/3200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

There have been times I have gone to the refuge in January where I have found dozens of herons congregated on the edge of the ice. On January 7th of 2020 I found a few Great Blue Herons resting, walking, hunting and lifting off from the ice on a bright, chilly morning. I had a lot of fun photographing them and the other birds I found there that day.

Great Blue Heron lifting off from a shelf of ice – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 170mm, natural light

I didn’t only use my bird gear to photograph the herons and gulls that morning. I also used my backup camera with a much shorter focal lens to take images of them that included the snow-covered mountains, sky, and marshy wetland habitat because photos like this convey a sense of place that frame filling images of birds usually can’t.

I know that I missed some wonderful frame filling photos of the herons while I photographed them with my smaller lens but I don’t regret that a bit. I love the photos I took that day where they show the herons small in the frame.

Life is good.

Mia

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