Heron at Home, A Rewarding Encounter After a Day’s Work
This post was initially published on the Squarespace version of my blog and includes references to files that no longer exist. I’m leaving them here as a trace for my future self. They might get fixed someday.
Content: A Great Blue Heron in our neighbor’s yard.
On Thursday I had spent the majority of my day driving up and down the New Jersey Turnpike. I was overseeing the production of a testimonial video from one of our customers in Parsippany. Under normal circumstances, this was probably going to be the highlight of my day. My first opportunity to produce a video and work as an art director for a video. What came next was a welcome reward for the day’s efforts
While turning into our driveway, I immediately noticed the long slender shape of a Great Blue Heron in our neighbor’s yard. I ran inside dropping my bag at the front door, and attached the 55-200 telephoto zoom to my camera. I quietly shuffled out the back door and crept over to the fence, using the cover of some shrubs as to not scare my subject. Switching the camera to my “Bird” custom setting, I popped out of the bushes and began firing off a series of images.
This is as close as I’ve been able to get to heron in our backyard. Despite their size, these birds are easily scared. I’ve had some success in the past, photographing herons from a distance. I’ve been able to include them as an element in a composition, but never the main subject. I’ve tried plenty of times to sneak up on one, only for it to notice me and fly away. Maybe there is some recency bias, but I consider this my best image of these modern day dinosaurs.
I have this connection to these birds that I haven’t quite been able to come to terms with. Despite being common throughout the country, they just remind me of home. We are fortunate to have a diverse amount of wildlife, right in our backyard. We routinely see Bald Eagles, Osprey, and other animals, yet it’s the heron that holds a special place in my mind. We even used them as a design element for our backyard wedding four and a half years ago. Their graceful presence brings a sense of peace and continuity, reminding me of the beauty and tranquility that nature offers right at our doorstep.