Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
The last day of the year got off to a cold but sunny start. I stopped at Rest Lake when I came across this great blue heron sitting beside the frozen channel and then sat listening to the cackling geese and tundra swans in the lake behind it. I couldn’t resist a self-portrait when the rising sun created a perfect shadow of my little Crosstrek on the bank.
A juvenile great blue heron hunts for voles in a meadow on a Christmas afternoon. The direct light of the setting sun was now blocked by the distant hills so I took a few pictures in the fading light before heading for home. I had photographed this heron before and spent about 15 minutes with it on this occasion, so it felt comfortable enough to turn its back to me even at such a close distance.
A juvenile great blue heron hunts in the last throes of direct sunlight on a Christmas afternoon.
I’ve seen great blue herons catch a wide a variety of animals at Ridgefield, but most of the fish they catch near the shore are really small, so I was a bit surprised when this heron speared a larger fish at the edge of Long Lake.
I didn’t have much exposure to great blue herons before I moved to Oregon years ago, but the ones I had seen hunted in bodies of water, so I was rather surprised when I moved here and saw herons frequently hunting on land. This young heron, as you can see from its muddy beak, was hunting for voles in a meadow. There’s a little bit of blood at the base of its beak, I’m not sure if it’s from the heron or one of its victims.
A great blue heron preens its neck feathers by running them through the tip of its bill.
A juvenile great blue heron hunts in the meadow beside Bull Lake late on a sunny Christmas afternoon, one of the last shots I took after spending all day at the refuge. Initially it was farther off but as I sat quietly in the car (with the car shut off) it came quite close as it listened for voles moving beneath the grass.
On a sunny Christmas afternoon, an adult great blue heron hunts for voles along the edge of Rest Lake while tundra swans swim near the far shoreline.
A great blue heron pauses its preening for a brief yawn on a rainy January afternoon.
A young great blue heron pauses while hunting for voles near Horse Lake. I’ve seen juvenile herons in this area over multiple years, it is right near the start of the auto tour and I suppose the older herons don’t consider it prime territory. I didn’t think I’d have much chance for pictures on this occasion as the heron was a bit far off and facing in the other direction, but it eventually turned and came right towards my car. Those blue feathers on its head that are sticking up will turn white as it ages.
Boolie 