Great Blue Heron. Ft. Myers, Fla. Paul Goldfinger   May 6, 2020. ©

This Great Blue had just caught a fish, so he climbed on the bank and swallowed the fish whole.  But I was far away and had to tip toe slowly in its direction.  It then flew across the small river and landed in the trees on the other side.   I tried to move in while hiding behind a tree as I went.   The bird didn’t see me at first, and I set my camera* for his inevitable flight.  These creatures are very skittish.

As I took another small step forward, he took off across and in the opposite direction.  I got off 3 shots, but this one, with cropping and fiddling with the soft wear got me this image.  You can see both wings, the curved neck, and the feet.  I like the details in the extended wing feathers.  It’s color is a blue-gray.

* Leica Monochrom digital camera with a fast 75 mm short tele lens.

DAVE STEWART AND THE SECRET SISTERS  from their album The Blackbird Diaries.