Field Notes Update

Great Egret - Field Notes Update /  by Todd Henson

Great Egret in flight against clear blue sky. Available for purchase.

A couple months ago I was fortunate enough to photograph a pair of Great Egrets in a wetlands park. One of the pair was displaying late-season breeding plumage, always a beautiful sight. Another photographer and I stood and watched this pair for perhaps half an hour or more. Both of us had hoped to capture some images of either of the pair fishing, but that didn’t happen this time.

Profile of Great Egret

Great Egret preening

Great Egret plumage

Great Egret eating a dragonfly

I did, however, capture an image of something I’d never seen before: a Great Egret catching and eating a dragonfly. I noticed the egret looking intently in a particular direction. All I could see in that direction was a dragonfly perched on a branch. I didn’t think the egret would notice a dragonfly, but sure enough, it stretched out its neck and snatched the dragonfly in it’s beak, munched it a couple times, then opened its beak and swallowed what was left.

I was also waiting to see if either egret would take flight. I love capturing images of birds in flight, and Great Egrets can be beautiful in flight. They have a large wingspan and usually fold up their neck, making it look much shorter than it is. I did manage to capture a few nice images when the egrets took flight. One image shows an egret against the water with a fallen tree in the background, and two others show the egret almost directly overhead against a clear blue sky. I love how the wings are backlit in these images, showing details of the features. Beautiful birds. I look forward to the next time I have the opportunity to photograph Great Egrets.

Great Egret flying low over wetlands pond

Great Egret flying almost directly overhead against clear blue sky

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Great Blue Heron on a Windy Day /  by Todd Henson

Great Blue Heron facing into the wind

Wind beginning to raise the feathers on the head of a Great Blue Heron

Windy days are not always the most productive for photographing birds. The majority of smaller birds stay hidden in the trees or brush, waiting for the wind to die down before coming out. But you can usually rely on some of the larger birds to show themselves, offering at least some photographic opportunities. So I try to get out to the parks with camera in hand whatever the weather.

This particular day, in early September, a cooperative Great Blue Heron flew in and landed close by on a bit of vegetation in the open water area of the wetlands. Great Blue Herons can be very elegant, beautiful birds, with flowing plumage. But when the wind gets strong they can also look unhappy and awkward, with plumage and feathers blown around in all directions.

Great Blue Heron facing forward, looking unhappy in the wind

Great Blue Heron raising its head in the wind

Great Blue Heron scratching an itch. Notice the talons on the ends of its toes.

If you stick around long enough when watching birds, or any animals really, you're bound to witness various behaviors. Birds will shake back and forth, puffing out their feathers, and then begin to preen themselves. This Great Blue Heron did the same, and appeared to scratch an itch just after puffing its feathers. Notice the talons on the end of its toes.

Preening Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron opening its beak enough to provide a view of its barbed tongue

Detail view of the barbed tongue of a Great Blue Heron

One feature of Great Blue Herons I had seen before are the barbs on their tongue, very helpful when they swallow down whole fish. I did not see this heron fishing, but it did give me the best view I've yet had of their forked tongue. Look at the zoomed in cropped photograph.

Great Blue Herons are amazing beautiful birds, even when blown around by the wind, and I never tire of photographing them. Days like this are a reminder to me that photographic opportunities are always to be found. Even when the weather appears bad there are experiences to be had in nature.

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