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The Blue Herons page contains 61 images and composites of the
Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron taken at Yellowstone and
several wildlife refuges in California, New Mexico and Florida.
Click an image to open a large version.
Use your back button to return to this page.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Great Blue Heron
The largest North American heron, the Great Blue is in my experience a skittish bird
that flies the moment it sees you, although those in Southern Florida are far more used to
the presence of people. They occupy wetland areas, marshes, swamps and shorelines and
are prolific hunters of fish, although they also eat insects, rodents, amphibians and small birds.
They are blue-gray, with a dark gray to black streak on either side of the crown stripe, which
is gray to white. They have a streaked breast and neck and a light gray face, a very heavy
yellow bill with a straight upper edge, and long dark-gray legs. Mature birds grow long
plumes at the base of their neck and on the lower back in the breeding season.
They can be very challenging to shoot anywhere but in Florida, as they fly
the moment they see you. This results in a lot of shots of the rear end of flying
herons... you learn to move in on them very slowly and sometimes you can cultivate
a friendship of sorts with individuals over a period of time to the point where they trust you.
Of course, with a long lens you can stay outside of their large fear radius and get a shot easily,
but to get highly detailed images of wild birds from close range requires stealth and patience.
Great Blue Heron Sunrise 1239
A telephoto scenic shot taken on the beach at Sanibel Island, Florida.
I was not yet accustomed to how closely you can approach the Great Blue
in Florida, so I took some insurance shots on the approach to make certain that
I came away with something for my efforts. It turns out that you can get very close to
the birds (it seems that they are used to people). Several closeups are shown below.
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Great Blue Heron Sunrise 1256
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Great Blue Heron Sunrise 1260
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Close portraits of a Great Blue Heron patrolling the beach on Sanibel Island at Sunrise.
Great Blue Heron Sunrise 1182
A very rare (in my experience) frontal portrait at sunrise. I took several
shots while moving in slowly, and he just let me keep coming in. Amazing.
Of course, this was taken with a 500mm lens from about 25 to 30 feet.
Still, that is far inside of the fear radius of birds I had seen in the past.
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Great Blue Heron Sunrise 1859
The light in Florida at sunrise and sunset is magical.
I think it must be the humidity... while the sun is low it retains
an unusual amount of red light and gives subjects a wonderful glow.
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Great Blue Heron 900, 902
Two tight mid-morning portraits perched on a rock.
I was absolutely amazed to be able to get this close.
A challenging part of shooting Great Blue Herons and other
birds with light cheeks is getting the exposure right without losing
detail in the lighter parts of the bird, especially the cheeks and the bill.
You dance a fine line between proper exposure and overexposure.
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Great Blue Heron 925, 1025
A backlit Great Blue in the late afternoon (left), and a quarter-lit Heron
on the right in the warm sweet light as the sun was getting low in the sky.
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Great Blue Heron Sunset 1087
A Great Blue Heron at sunset, in the full-blown glory of the Florida sun.
The light is very orange-red, and controlling the red channel is interesting,
but if you catch it right the look is magnificent. The Great Blue strolling in
front of the background seagull makes for a nice closeup composition.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Great Blue Heron Roosting X0789
A Great Blue Heron roosts in the Eucalyptus which overlooks Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon...
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Great Blue Heron Sunset 0996
... and another roosting at sunset beside a creek which feeds into the Gulf from a swamp on Sanibel Island, Florida.
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Great Blue Heron Roosting X8357
A Great Blue Heron surveys his domain from his roost.
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Great Blue Heron Perched X0795
A Great Blue “Heron on a Stick” from Sanibel Island.
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Great Blue Heron 0857, 0859
My two best early results at Great Blue Heron shots, taken at the LA River.
The herons there are extremely skittish, and fly when you get inside 100 feet.
I cultivated this bird for weeks to get this close, visiting once or twice a week.
Every time he would let me in closer before flying. Finally, I was able
to approach him as close as the edge of the opposite side of the river.
Then the trick was to catch him in one of the few places and from an angle
which did not show piles of alluvial debris deposits in the background.
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Great Blue Heron 0598 M
One of the more elegant positions I’ve seen, from a sequence in Yellowstone National Park.
I was shooting this Great Blue with a friend while the bird was hunting, and as he was strutting
across the creek a fish attracted his attention. The resulting position created an interesting shot.
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Great Blue Heron Hunting 0573 M
A 1500 x 1200 image of the same Great Blue Heron hunting in Yellowstone National Park,
taken about 9 minutes earlier, when the sun decided to peek out from amongst the clouds.
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Great Blue Heron 2453
A Great Blue Heron beside a canal at Bosque del Apache.
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Great Blue Heron 9817
A Great Blue Heron on the beach at Sanibel Island, Florida.
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Great Blue Flasher X0466
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Great Blue Flasher X0475 M
Check out the look on the face of the Great Blue Heron shown on the left (image X0466). Absolutely priceless.
These images were taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge on a hot afternoon in March. The bird was actually trying to cool off, letting a little breeze in, but you know what this looks like. The look on his face certainly completes the illusion.
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Great Blue Flasher X0530
I thought this situation would be perfect for a telephoto-scenic wildlife shot. Comedy and beauty.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Great Blue Heron X2730
Shot at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge from about 100 feet across the pond, a typical distance from the Heron before it flies.
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Great Blue Heron X0911
This image was taken from about 200 feet. I had to crop down to about half of the frame. This is typical of Great Blue Heron shots taken outside of Florida. They fly when you get within 125 feet or so, and some are more skittish than others.
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Great Blue Heron 0907
A close portrait of a Great Blue Heron taken on a warm morning in November on Sanibel Island, Florida.
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Great Blue Heron 1798
A Great Blue Heron beside a canal on a cold December morning at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
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Great Blue Heron Alpha Male 1874 M
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Great Blue Heron Alpha Male 1890 M
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Two 1000 x 1590 close portraits of a heavily bearded Great Blue Heron at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, NM.
Great Blue Heron Alpha Male 1898, 1814
An Alpha Male Great Blue Heron in full breeding plumage at Bosque del Apache.
The beard plumes look heavier than they actually are because he had them fluffed up
to help him keep his neck warm (it was about 20 degrees outside). I got in fairly close
to this fellow using stealth, as I was there with only one person (Dave C.), who was
also able to move quietly to avoid scaring the bird. You have seen what the GBH
looks like normally with breeding plumes (the roosting shots, for instance).
These are far longer and thicker than usual. Notice the long plumes on
his back, seen best on the image at right and the two shots below.
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Great Blue Heron Alpha Male 1838
An Alpha Male Great Blue Heron in breeding plumage at Bosque del Apache.
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Great Blue Heron Alpha Male 1841
The Great Blue Heron performs the “Groucho Strut” (for those who remember Groucho Marx).
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Great Blue Heron in Flight 0878
A Great Blue Heron in flight at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, NM, on a cold December morning.
The Great Blue Heron, like the Great Egret, bends its neck in flight to tuck its head in close to the body.
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Nesting Great Blue Heron Teaching Flight 5469
Shot from about 250 feet in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, this nesting Great Blue Heron is teaching her chicks to fly.
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Nesting Great Blue Heron Teaching Flight 5488
The birds were pretty far away for 420mm, but the sequence was interesting and well worth staying for the shoot.
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Nesting Great Blue Heron Teaching Flight 501
Notice that one of the chicks is totally ignoring the mother Heron’s instructions. Typical adolescent behavior.
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Nesting GBH Trying Out the Wings 5555
“I think I”ve got it, Mom! Let me give it a try.”
20 shots from the 35 shot sequence are below.
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Nesting Great Blue Heron Teaching Flight XXL
A 1200 x 1465 version of the XXL Composite (5060 x 6177)
of a Great Blue Heron teaching her chicks to use their wings.
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Great Blue Heron Portrait HS1922
This close portrait is rare in two respects. First, that I was able to approach a GBH at
Bolsa Chica Refuge closely enough to try it, and second because of the angle, shooting
from about five feet above the bird. The friend I was shooting with was used to quiet approach,
and I think we came up on him so softly he may not have noticed we were there until I took the shot.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Little Blue Heron
A small heron resident in the warmer regions of the southeastern US,
the Little Blue Heron is a bird that I have only encountered in Florida as
they do not get to the part of the country which I normally shoot. They have a
blue-gray body, light greenish-yellow legs, and a long bicolor gray to black bill.
In breeding season they have a purple neck with long plumes at the base.
Below, you will see some birds in partial and full breeding plumage.
Little Blue Heron 1704
A Little Blue Heron surveys the Mangrove swamp on Sanibel Island from a convenient perch.
Note the lavender shading to the neck and head which defines the bird’s breeding plumage.
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Little Blue Heron 1673
This shot was taken from a slightly greater distance and
from a higher angle, a little earlier. The position allowed me to
get the reflection nicely, but the way the light bounced off the bird’s
feathers dulled the color a little. You can’t have everything, I suppose.
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Little Blue Heron 1680
Detail of the Little Blue Heron standing guard over the Mangrove swamp on Sanibel Island.
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Little Blue Heron Juvenile at Sunrise 0164
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Little Blue Heron Juvenile at Sunrise 0165
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Two shots of a Juvenile Little Blue Heron at Sunrise on Sanibel Island.
The Juvenile Little Blue Heron is quite similar to the Snowy Egret (comparison below).
Little Blue Heron Juvenile Snowy Egret Comparison 0165, 0232
As you can can see from the comparison composite above, the primary differences
between the Juvenile Little Blue Heron and the Snowy Egret are in the bill, the lores
(the unfeathered skin above the base of the bill, in front of the eye) and the leg color.
The Juvenile Little Blue Heron has a pinkish-gray bill with a black tip, fading to dark
gray on the upper part towards the base of the bill, and light yellow-green lores. The
Juvenile Little Blue Heron’s legs are a bit darker yellow-green shade than the lores.
The Snowy Egret has a black bill, bright yellow lores, and yellow-green and black legs.
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Little Blue Heron 0990
A late afternoon trek, looking for food.
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Little Blue Heron 1525
Hunting near a group of Ibis just after sunrise.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Little Blue Heron Sunrise 0591
Early in the morning, with low angle light reflecting off the water and
streaking the bird’s feathers, a Little Blue Heron hunts for its breakfast.
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Little Blue Heron Sunrise 0604
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Little Blue Heron Sunrise 0615
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Little Blue Heron Sunrise 0621
I find this image fascinating. The strike was so smooth
that the water was barely disturbed around the bird’s head.
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Little Blue Heron Sunrise 0626
A 1500 x 1092 reflection portrait of a Little Blue Heron hunting on Sanibel Island at sunrise.
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Little Blue Heron 1300
A Little Blue Heron hunting in magnificent light at sunrise on Sanibel Island, Florida.
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Little Blue Heron 1403
This beautifully colored bird will do a flip for us.
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Little Blue Heron 1417
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Little Blue Heron with Prey 1419
This image and the one following were both shot within the same second.
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Little Blue Heron Flip 1420
A Little Blue Heron shows that Great Egrets are not the only ones who can perform the “Flip”.
Notice that the nictating membrane in front of the eye is closing to protect the eye from spray.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Little Blue Heron Bad Hair Day 0033
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Little Blue Heron with Prey 1434
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Little Blue Heron 0944, 947
Two late afternoon Little Blue Heron portraits, one frontal face (hilarious) and one in profile.
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Little Blue Heron 0928
The Little Blue Heron strut.
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Little Blue Heron 0931
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Little Blue Heron with Snake 9767, 9768
I saw this Little Blue flying off with a captured snake from about 150 feet down
the beach and I quickly fired off a couple of shots. I have my cameras set to fire
when I press on the shutter, regardless of whether or not the target is in focus, so
the left shot is a bit soft as the lens was still tracking. I did not want to miss this.
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Little Blue Heron Sunset 0988
A Little Blue Heron watches the reflection of the sun off the water, near sunset on Bunch Beach.
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Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Wildlife Collections page where a Gallery can be selected.
Images can be found in the following Collections (Direct Links)
Birds Collections: Egrets & Herons
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Snowy Egret page
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Great Egret, Cattle Egret and Reddish Egret page
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Click the Display Composite above to visit the Night Herons, Green Heron and Tricolored Heron page
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Click the Display Composite above to return to the Egrets and Herons index page
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