Great Blue Herons a Common Sight at Crab Orchard

Blue Heron Portrait

​This is the closest I have been to a blue heron…

With wildlife, I’m convinced that no matter how much you try to plan ahead it's really just dumb luck that you are in the right spot at the right time.

We had been driving around Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge for a few hours looking for wildlife when the clouds started rolling in and the winds picked up. It was getting pretty dark so we decided it was time to head home.

As we drove back across the dam road, a blue heron glided over the water and plopped himself down not 25 yards in front of us; right next to the only parking spot on that narrow road as if to say, “Take my picture!” We whipped over and I jumped out of the car.

Two men were fishing from the dock no more than 30 feet from him. They appeared to be drunk. They were screaming in excitement and their voices carried easily over the water.

“Did you see that!” the one fisherman exclaimed to the other as I squatted down along the edge of the road.  

I didn’t want to waste this opportunity so I didn't take the time to swap lenses. With my 400mm lens and 1.4x extender on my 7D, I was far too close to Mr. Heron to get the shot and had to back up a few feet. 

​The second time I squatted down, I drew the drunker of the two guy’s attention, “What’s she doing, she’s not peeing right there is she?”

“Nah, she’s just takin’ a picture.”

I chuckled all night about that. If those two couldn’t scare away the heron, I don’t think anything could. I ended up leaving before he did.
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Here’s a couple of other Great Blue Heron images that I shot earlier in the day….

Great Blue Heron in Flight

Blue Heron Wading

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I have several galleries of birds and wildlife art:
Birds
Birds - Cranes
Birds - Mature Eagles
Birds - Nesting Eaglets
​Animals & Wildlife
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More information on Crab Orchard NWR  in southern Illinois can be found here.

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About the Photographer

Susan Rissi Tregoning is the 8th photographer in the past 4 generations of professional photographers in her family. After a long career as an art buyer and interior designer, she put her career on hold in 2006 to travel with her husband and his job. In the process, she found her “roots” again,  developing a photography obsession far beyond casual snapshots that  evolved into a desire to capture each and every location and object as “art”. By meshing her two loves, photography and design, she has come full circle. Only now, she is creating art instead of just purchasing it.  ​

 See an image you like? You can purchase Susan's work in  The Art Gallery.  
All images in the her collection are available as wall art, fine art prints, on home decor, gift items and apparel.

"Fall Migration at Whittlesey Creek" Framed Canvas Art Print

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