Great Blue Heron On Ice At Farmington Bay WMA

I had some fun photographing a Great Blue Heron on ice along with its shadow yesterday morning on a pond at Farmington Bay WMA. I almost missed seeing this heron. I am glad that I didn’t.

Great Blue Heron on ice at Farmington Bay WMA – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I pulled my Jeep over to the side of the road and reached for my camera to photograph the Great Blue Heron. The ice was either covered with frost or a light layer of fresh snow. The heron was hunched down probably because it was cold.

Yawning Great Blue Heron on ice – Nikon D500, f8, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Not long after I started photographing the heron it yawned. I had several images of it yawning. I selected this photo because the heron’s bill was open the widest in this particular frame.

Great Blue Heron and shadow at Farmington Bay WMA – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

In every image that I took of this Great Blue Heron I enjoyed seeing its shadow on the ice. Several vehicles passed by. The heron seemed to turn its head in response to the traffic.

Wide angle view of Great Blue Heron on ice – Nikon D810, f11, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 200mm, natural light

Before I left the Great Blue Heron I decided to take a wider angle view of it and grabbed my backup Nikon D810 with a 18-200mm lens attached to it. I wanted to show more of the habitat that the heron was in than I could with my bird gear setup. The heron looked tiny in the marshy landscape.

Bonus photo of me photographing a Great Blue Heron in 2004

Mia McPherson photographing a Great Blue Heron at Gandy Beach in 2004 – © Patty Ritter

I photographed a Great Blue Heron almost 18 years ago on December 31, 2004 when I lived in Florida. My best friend Patty took a photo of me photographing that heron at Gandy Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. I thought I’d share this photo because I was a budding bird photographer at the time. The heron is to the right of the Brown Pelican.

I also think the comparison in garments worn eighteen years ago and with what I wore yesterday here in Utah is remarkable. I had on shorts that day in Florida and I wasn’t chilly at all. Yesterday I dressed in multiple layers. I also had a polar fleece vest and jacket over all those layers.

Great Blue Heron at Gandy Beach – Nikon E8800, f5.2, 1/230, ISO 50, 89mm, natural light

And this is the Great Blue Heron I photographed on that hazy New Year’s Eve in 2004. Patty and I always had a great time exploring the birds and critters in many locations in Florida. I miss exploring with her!

Life is good.

Mia

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