BIRD OF THE WEEK NO. 17

Great Blue Heron

“THEY ARE SHAPE-SHIFTERS, apparently gawky and then astonishingly graceful. They ball up in the cold and slowly uncoil before a sudden strike. They are silent in the stream but can cackle like crows upon takeoff. They fish alone but sometimes work a low tide in groups of six or more, each with its own patch. They are found in creeks, lakes, and on the edge of the sea, hidden in the marsh and perched in trees. Some let me sit nearby while they troll a stream. With their braided necks and splays of long breast feathers that flutter in the wind, they are more complexly constructed and extravagantly decorated than a Victorian lady’s hat, and more sublime.”

I WROTE THESE WORDS in my 2019 book, Year of the Birds. My first successful portrait was that of a Great Blue Heron and I’ve photographed dozens since, including a large roost with a bald eagle protector whose fee was a few of the herons’ young. I never tire of seeing them hunt with long, agile necks and long, sharp beaks. At sunrise, they are the early bird catching the fish, their bodies and movements silhouetted in fiery light. More than any other bird, they remind me of birds’ dinosaur heritage. While watching their long wings glide with precision just above the water, you can imagine yourself flying in time, only rarely touching the surface.

Nikon Z9, 700mm, 1/1600th second at f8, ISO 2500