BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY

STOPS ALONG THE WAY

GREAT BLUE HERON

by 32 Comments

I have never been this close to a Great Blue Heron. It had landed right on the water’s edge, a few feet from where we were standing. There was a lot of brush around, which I couldn’t avoid but I don’t mind it in the frame. I used Field Blur in Photoshop to soften it a bit. I wondered if the heron was a young bird, it was so close to us and yet so fearless.

32 thoughts on “GREAT BLUE HERON”

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  1. Birder's Journey
    March 24, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    Such a thrill to have this majestic bird so close – how wonderful for you! He looks quite wet around the head and neck too – wonder if he’s been practicing his fishing skills?!

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  2. Adrian Lewis
    March 24, 2018 at 5:12 am

    I don’t know this species at all, but maybe the amount of brown in the plumage points to a youngster.

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  3. Reed Andariese
    March 23, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    It was not me, he used to be in the Russian Army. We then had to rescue him from the muck.

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  4. Reed Andariese
    March 23, 2018 at 10:41 am

    Nice photo! Some GBH’s do not seem to worry about people from what I have experienced. Sometimes I worried when they got too close. On one occasion at a local park a large snapping turtle locked on to one in front of our group of photographers and was taking it down. One photographer jumped in and managed to get the snapping turtle off the Heron. It recovered and that season we named the Heron after the photographer. It stuck around and seemed to like to be around us.

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  5. Ellen Jennings
    March 23, 2018 at 5:12 am

    Nice image, Belinda, and so exciting when these big bird come so close! I like the ducks bobbing in the background, too, adding to the scene.

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  6. Jet Eliot
    March 22, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    Isn’t it so wonderful to have that special moment up-close with a GBH? How fortunate that you were there and ready with your camera. Excellent capture, Belinda.

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  7. Eliza Waters
    March 22, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    So close! It is my experience as well that young herons haven’t learned as yet to be afraid of humans. They let you get quite close.

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  8. wordsfromanneli
    March 22, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    Herons are beautiful birds. They have an ugly crawk sound but everything else about them is so “cool.” I love watching them stalk their prey.

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  9. sandyjwhite
    March 22, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    Nice shot, Belinda. Blue Herons are so pretty.
    Also, I’m glad you enjoyed my Rainbow post. Somehow I managed to delete
    your comment in the process of trying to respond. Sorry about that!

    Like

  10. George McNeill
    March 22, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    Hi Belinda, I think the foliage acts has a frame and draws the eye to the heron. I like it, nice one.

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  12. John
    March 22, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    Great photo, such a beautiful bird! ❤️

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  13. Nicolas Forestell
    March 22, 2018 at 9:16 am

    Nice post! I wanted to mention that your Heron looks good for a young one.

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  14. Ted Jennings
    March 22, 2018 at 7:56 am

    Young bird by the colors and shape of the feathers around his head. Very nice and glad you caught this 🙂

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  15. kathydoremus
    March 22, 2018 at 7:51 am

    Glad you got one up close and in person!

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  16. Indira
    March 22, 2018 at 3:34 am

    Having the actual field around gives a natural shot… well done, friend!!

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