Great Blue Heron Up Close

Great Blue Heron

The other day during my trek to Spa Beach, I spotted this Great Blue Heron perching on a wall near a fisherman, just waiting to grab his fish.

These guys are the best at stealing a catch. The poor fishermen do all the work, while the Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and Pelicans hang around just waiting for them to reel in their catch. As soon as the fish is above water, the bird swoops down and steals it.

Herons, Egrets and Pelicans in this area are so used to people they have lost all their fear of humans. It is not unusual to see 4 or 5 birds within 2 feet of fishermen. The fishermen try to chase them away, but all they do is move another 2 feet or to the other side of them and it all starts over again.

It's pretty comical to watch; that is, if you're not a fisherman. They don't enjoy these birds at all.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Today, my self-assignment was bird's eye view. Unfortunately, we had a lot of sea fog, and a high up level was shrouded in fog. So, instead I went out just looking for something to shoot.

I went to a park I haven't been to in years only to find out it was closed on Mondays. Then I went to another park and found nothing interesting there, so I went to The Pier. Although the building is closed, the roadway on the way to The Pier is still open.

I spotted this Great Blue Heron on the top of a roof on the walkway in one of the decorative shelters (it's the only thing I can think of to call this thing). He was just standing there looking out over the water. It was difficult shooting up in the air, but out of several I took, I like this one. I like the blue sky for a background and I like his stance.

It's still the same old stuff I've been posting for so long, but this time, I took my time and looked for a good background, taking care not to have any other distractions in the photo so I wouldn't have to crop anything out.