Time to Say Goodbye

A juvenile great blue heron hunts for voles in a meadow on a Christmas afternoon

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.

Juvenile Attention

A close-up view of a juvenile great blue heron's face and beak, taken on the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge on December 25, 2013. Original: _MG2146.CR2
A close-up view of a juvenile great blue heron's face and beak, taken on the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge on December 25, 2013. Original: _MG2146.CR2

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.

📷: Canon M | Canon 500mm f/4 + 1.4X
🗓️: December 25, 2013