Last week I had the opportunity to photograph a Great Blue Heron on the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, where the heron was small in the frame.
Great Blue Heron on snow covered ice – Small in frame – Nikon D500, f9, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light
The one and only vehicle that passed me on the auto tour loop that morning flushed the heron away from the road. I quickly removed my 1.4x teleconverter from my lens so I could show more of the ice than I could with it attached. Even though Great Blue Herons are large wading birds I wanted these images to show how small they can be on the icy, marshy landscape.
Great Blue Herons survive very tough conditions during the harsh, cold winters in northern Utah. When they find open water they often gather around it in large numbers to forage for prey. Last week while I was at the refuge there were just three of these herons near the open water.
Great Blue Heron and its winter shadow – Small in frame – Nikon D500, f9, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light
When the car that passed me flushed this Great Blue Heron out onto the open ice the heron squawked, landed on the ice, and fluffed its feathers. I liked how its long shadow showed on the snow covered ice in this photo.
Great Blue Heron Breeding Season Starts Soon
It may seem hard to believe but in just a week or two these tall wading birds will have courtship on their minds. They will go into their breeding plumage and begin their courtship displays and soon after that they will breed and nest. Low temps and snow storms don’t seem to deter their mating behaviors for long here in northern Utah.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Great Blue Heron photos plus facts and information about this species.