Heron Fishing

I came around the bend and there it was….yes you have read this line in my blog before!  That’s because it often happens to me when I visit the Katherine Albertson’s park in Boise.  The paths through the park have many twists and turns and you never know what you will find when you round a bend.  On this particular day it was cold, a bit cloudy and lightly visited by other people.  When I spotted this beautiful bird I was afraid he (or she) would fly off quickly as that has generally happened to me with nearly all the heron I have encountered.  Fortunately, this bird was not skittish and I had both a full memory card and battery in my camera. 

At first, I took a series of pictures of the bird cleaning its feathers from across the water.  Then the bird settled down and stood very still watching the water for a potential meal.  After awhile I thought it unlikely I would get any additional pictures that did not look exactly like the ones I had, and I considered moving on.  But then, the thought came to me that I should wait and watch, because to capture the kind of images that I really want, I have to have patience…  so I sat down and watched the bird for quite a long time. 

This, as it turned out, was the right decision.  The heron eventually began to hunt through the water. Because I was sitting there with my camera focused, other people in the park noticed the bird as well.  Many also stopped to watch, sometimes making a good deal of noise in the process.  When the heron wasn’t bothered by the commotion, I decided it would be okay for me to move around and find better spots to shoot from.  Eventually I ended up really close to this bird and it didn’t seem to mind in the least.

While I was photographing the heron a group of deer walked past me.  I was torn between staying with the heron and following the deer.  I decided to stay with the heron since this bird was being so agreeable. I still wanted a shot of the bird with its wings out, and as you can see, sticking around was the right choice as eventually I was rewarded.

For me, it’s a thrill to get certain kinds of photos.  This photo was that kind of picture.  The wings are out; the bird has a fish in its beak, in a nice close up. 

I have learned so much about animal behavior from behind the camera. I noticed when the heron thrusts his beak into the water to catch the fish; the force of the strike drives the fish into the mud.  So then the heron dips the fish back into the water and shakes it off. Apparently the bird cleans the mud off his catch before gulping it down. 

 These birds are wonderful creatures, I feel especially blessed to have been to share time with this one.