Great Blue Herons at Baskett Slough NWR

(Almost) Missed Opportunity

It was near sunset on the Baskett Butte Trail as I waited to see if black-tailed deer would emerge into the golden light, but none were forthcoming so I headed back to the car to try my luck at one of the ponds before the light slipped away. By the time I got there, I was disappointed to see that the direct light was already blocked from the pond and thought my chances of getting a good picture were over. Then I noticed this great blue heron against the brilliant orange reflection of the sunset and shot a whole sequence as he slowly moved around.

It was one of my earliest pictures after getting a digital camera and remains one of my favorites.

Where Did Everybody Go?

A huge flock of Canada geese winter at the refuge and had been feeding in this field. When the flock noisily took to the air en masse, they left behind a bunch of white feathers, their droppings, and one lonely heron.

This environmental portrait has remained one of my favorite heron pictures, it's a little comical and a little sad, all in one picture.

Another attempt at creating something other than the typical static heron portrait. This one was hunting in some fields not far from where the sunset picture above was taken. This day, however, was heavily overcast and often raining heavily. At the moment, however, it was actually snowing which you can see pretty clearly on the larger picture. I wasn't totally happy with the picture since the snow isn't very visible around the heron's level, but I still like the mood the picture conveys.

A great blue heron takes flight on a rainy day in Oregon.