The Great Blue Hunter

Shooting wildlife can often be tricky. You study the animals and their habits. You watch and observe for normal behaviors and travel routes. They might even get used to your presence (but ALWAYS keep a safe distance, for both you and the animals!).  But you also have to remember that animals don't read the field guides and books, and they seldom follow the "rules".

While you may be able to train a dog, cat or horse to stand quietly and patiently for a photo, wildlife has its own agenda. You just flat never know what they are going to do. You have to be prepared for anything.  It takes a lot of patience to be able to sit in one spot for what might seem like hours, just to get a single decent photo. It takes skill to know the proper settings on your camera to get the right exposure. It also takes a lot of luck.  

There are times when I simply stumble upon an opportunity. The photo here was one of those times. I was driving into a wildlife refuge and spotted the heron in the "yard" of an old historic house. Because I had already set up my camera before I entered the refuge, all I had to do was get close enough for a good shot. There were some large cottonwood trees along the front of the yard and I hoped it would be enough cover to allow me to approach more closely.

Great Blue Herons are ridiculously skittish, and I've never been able to get very close to them. This one however, was focused on something that I could not see, and it was pretty much oblivious to my presence.  That, and the fact that a vehicle being a pretty good blind (you just don't look like a human if you're in a car), I was able to get fairly close. As I started shooting the bird suddenly darted its head out and came up with his prize.  I was able to grab a few more photos before the heron flew off and left me with what was possibly a once in a lifetime shot.