Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Very similar to the Old World’s Grey Heron, the Great Blue Heron stands as tall as 54 inches and is the largest North American heron. These birds are prototypical ambush hunters; standing silently waiting for prey to come within striking range, then reaching out at lighting speed to capture its prey. Contrast this style to an active hunter such as the Snowy Egret who uses quick movements to frighten prey into view, then chasing down its prey. I compare my preferred method of sit-and-wait photography to these birds, and I tell people, “I’m more Great Blue Heron than the Snowy Egret.”
These tall waders range over most of the USA year-round. Some birds are only summer visitors in the high plains of the upper Mississippi Valley into Canada and north of the Great lakes. In Texas I encountered these magnificent birds along the Gulf Coast, but during my travels through the western states I’ve met them in California, Wyoming and Arizona.
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Catching a morsel at the Visitor Center on the north edge of Jackson, Wyoming. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:16 12:16 |
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Location:
Jackson Visitor Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2833-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 8:00 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: jcd1260GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 8:08 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: jcd1291GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Successfully foraging at Lindo Lake. Lakeside, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:10:11 8:58 |
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Location:
Lindo Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: jcd2364GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: A bird often found near the beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:06 17:58 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD3259.GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: A first summer bird at the slough near the mouth of the San Digito River. Del Mar, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:08:09 10:09 |
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Location:
San Diguito Slough |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD5131.GreatBlueHeron.Juvenile |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: A first summer bird at the slough near the mouth of the San Digito River. Del Mar, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:08:09 10:12 |
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Location:
San Diguito Slough |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD5147.GreatBlueHeron.Juvenile |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Two advanced juveniles. J Street at the bay, Chula Vista, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 7:35 |
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Location:
J-Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/40 |
File Name: JCD9641.GreatBlueHeron.Nest_ |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Competition Dance at San Elijio Lagoon County Park & Ecological Reserve. Encinitas, California. |
Date Taken: 2001:06:24 18:16 |
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Location:
San Elijio Lagoon |
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Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, 0 mm, |
File Name: A1F24b22-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2001 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: A resident bird at Merced NWR, south of Merced, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:27 14:55 |
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Location:
Merced NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: D3X5093-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:01:31 15:41 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X0993-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Foraging at Agua Caliente Park in North-Eastern Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2013:08:27 8:09 |
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Location:
Agua Caliente Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/125 |
File Name: D3X1862-GreatBlueHeron-Juvenile |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This pair was setting up house at Chula Vista Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:14 9:27 |
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Location:
Bayfront Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2804-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Catching a pretty big dinner at the San Diguito River Mouth. Del Mar California. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:03:25 12:10 |
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Location:
San Diguito River Mouth |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/160 |
File Name: D3X4573-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Skimming the surface on take-off on the Southeastern shore of the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:07:26 9:39 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X6541-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Looking for a fresh hunting spot while flying past me at the Salton Sea at Poe Road. Imperial County near Westmoreland, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:04:27 16:04 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X7552-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: I found this birds in the protected waters at the fisherman's marina in Crescent City California. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:14 13:10 |
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Location:
Crescent Harbor |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X0409-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Day's end at Ramer Lake. Between Calpatria and Brawley in Imperial County and east of the Salton Sea, California. |
Date Taken: 2017:04:20 18:10 |
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Location:
Ramer Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X6082 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This bird is landing at what it hopes is a better fishing spot at Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 13:31 |
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Location:
Santee Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X4496-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Heron landing. This is the SECOND tallest bird on the reserve. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, mostly spent at Heron Flats. The cranes that eluded me on Sunday gave themselves to me on this morning, as did some other nice birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 9:55 |
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Location:
Aransas NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D501991-Aransas-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Big birds serious about nesting. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, so I drove south to Rockport where I would board a boat (the Skimmer) on Tuesday to see a whole new side of the reserve. In exploring the town I saw the ever-present Laughing gulls perched on a fenceline. After stopping I noticed I'd stumbled onto the Rockport Rookery, an 8+ acre site the city purchased from the Beasley family. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 16:10 |
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Location:
Fulton (Texas) |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D502920-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Big birds serious about nesting. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, so I drove south to Rockport where I would board a boat (the Skimmer) on Tuesday to see a whole new side of the reserve. In exploring the town I saw the ever-present Laughing gulls perched on a fenceline. After stopping I noticed I'd stumbled onto the Rockport Rookery, an 8+ acre site the city purchased from the Beasley family. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 16:10 |
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Location:
Fulton (Texas) |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D502934-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Big birds serious about nesting. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, so I drove south to Rockport where I would board a boat (the Skimmer) on Tuesday to see a whole new side of the reserve. In exploring the town I saw the ever-present Laughing gulls perched on a fenceline. After stopping I noticed I'd stumbled onto the Rockport Rookery, an 8+ acre site the city purchased from the Beasley family. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 16:18 |
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Location:
Fulton (Texas) |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D502956-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
|
Description: Big birds serious about nesting. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, so I drove south to Rockport where I would board a boat (the Skimmer) on Tuesday to see a whole new side of the reserve. In exploring the town I saw the ever-present Laughing gulls perched on a fenceline. After stopping I noticed I'd stumbled onto the Rockport Rookery, an 8+ acre site the city purchased from the Beasley family. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 16:19 |
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Location:
Fulton (Texas) |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D502971-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
|
Description: Big birds serious about nesting. My second day at Aransas NWR on Monday, was only a half day, so I drove south to Rockport where I would board a boat (the Skimmer) on Tuesday to see a whole new side of the reserve. In exploring the town I saw the ever-present Laughing gulls perched on a fenceline. After stopping I noticed I'd stumbled onto the Rockport Rookery, an 8+ acre site the city purchased from the Beasley family. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:16 16:20 |
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Location:
Fulton (Texas) |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D502981-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: I met this bird on the docks before our boat was ready to board. My third day of exploration of Aransas NWR was a memorable one. I boarded the tour boat the "Skimmer" and got schooled by Captian Tommy Moore on a three plus hour cruise of the back-bays and waterways beyond the view of the public from the tour roads on the reserve. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:17 8:50 |
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Location:
Fulton Harbor |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D503462-BoatRide-Aransas-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This heron caught a catfish, but didn't want to risk injury from its sharp spiney fins. My third day of exploration of Aransas NWR was a memorable one. I boarded the tour boat the "Skimmer" and got schooled by Captian Tommy Moore on a three plus hour cruise of the back-bays and waterways beyond the view of the public from the tour roads on the reserve. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:17 11:51 |
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Location:
Aransas NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D504073-BoatRide-Aransas-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This large bird was probably nesting a few hundred feet from this beach in the Rockport Rookery. I met these birds after my third day of exploration of Aransas NWR aboard the "Skimmer". There was still time left in the day for explorations. I found a nice place to park next to Little Bay and photograph local resident birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:06 4:19 |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D504959-Rockport-TX-scaled |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This large bird was probably nesting a few hundred feet from this beach in the Rockport Rookery. I met these birds after my third day of exploration of Aransas NWR aboard the "Skimmer". There was still time left in the day for explorations. I found a nice place to park next to Little Bay and photograph local resident birds. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:17 17:33 |
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Location:
Little Bay |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D505199-Rockport-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This pair was setting up house at Chula Vista Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:02:14 9:27 |
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Location:
Bayfront Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2804-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This bird is landing at what it hopes is a better fishing spot at Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 13:31 |
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Location:
Santee Lakes |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X4496-GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
Date Taken: 2017:04:20 18:10 |
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Location:
Ramer Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X6082 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: San Diego River, Mission Trails Regional Park, near Santee, California in San Diego County 2009-05-01. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:06 17:30 |
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Location:
Mission Trails Regional Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd7062.GreatBlueHeron |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: This Great Blue Heron was probably digesting fish caught in the nearby water shallows. The Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas is a first rate birding destination. I spent several hours in the morning and several more in the afternoon on this day. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:30 8:41 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/5000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D509677-South-Padre |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Three’s a crowd! When a third heron showed up at the marsh, one of the pair (assume the male) took exception and ran the newcomer off. My Monday visit to South Padre Island lasted all day. The morning was slow for bird meetings, but the afternoon was better at the SPI Convention Center. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:01 15:07 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X7239-SouthPadreIsland-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Near the Convention Center, Great Blue Herons asserted their dominance over all the other waders in the area. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 13:33 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X3550-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Near the Convention Center, Great Blue Herons asserted their dominance over all the other waders in the area. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 12:42 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X2775-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias) |
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Description: Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his Harris's Hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 13:45 |
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Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: GreatBlueHeron_D5X4774-BosqueDelApache |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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