Does it blow your mind that giant birds just… exist? Because it certainly blows mine.
Growing up, there were frequently blue herons around the pond. I’ve seen them many, many times but somehow the excitement still hasn’t gone away. They’re just an incredible site to see.
When we first toured the house, we got to meet the previous owner. He told us some random bits and bots about the house but honestly, it was all a blur. My mind was racing at the possibility of owning such an unbelievable house that talk of what sorts of animals frequented the yard went in one ear and out the other. However, I do recall him mentioning blue heron hanging out around the pond.
Up until the other day I had only been lucky enough to spot this beast from a distance and it was usually him taking flight after hearing the door close behind me. The other evening Jeff spotted him from the sliding glass door in the kitchen. I ran full speed to my office, grabbed my new telephoto lens, and tried to sneak outside as quickly as possible.
I snagged these three shots. The evening lighting and our lush woods set the perfect scene. While I’d love to get a little bit closer next time, I’m still over the moon that I get to share a yard with this critter. I will also never get over animals using our the little wooden bridge Jeff built. I’ve watched rabbits cross it, we have a stray cat that sleeps on it somtimes and I even spotted a groundhog on it once but this is the first one I’ve photographed. I hope it can eventually turn into a series.
Did you know great blue herons are anywhere from 3 to 4.5 feet tall and can have a wingspan of 5.5 to 6.6 feet. Yet only weigh 4.5-7lbs because of their hollow bones!