GREAT BLUE HERON

I spent the better part of two evenings returning to the habitat I've been exploring and was delighted to find a Great Blue Heron on both occasions.

This large, striking bird held its watchful pose as I began taking pictures in its marshy environs.

The bird slowly edged its way across a log in the water.  I was using my car as a blind to avoid scaring the heron off, but battled the low sun reflecting off my windshield.

Here I continued to struggle with windshield reflection, but couldn't resist the pose of the Great Blue in this image.  I thought it was going to take to the air, but instead it just gave me a teaser.  Or maybe it was just putting out its wings to balance itself as it moved along the narrow log.

It was fun capturing the heron from various angles.  Each one gave me a different perspective on the bird's personality.  Here, the graceful Great Blue looks a bit goofy.

And here the slanted eyes and lethal-looking beak give the heron a more sinister appearance.

Later on, the Great Blue had moved to a pond near a farmer's field that had been mostly inhabited by geese. 

I loved how the heron was reflected in the pond's water as it slowly made its way to the other side.