Great Blue Heron Fishing

Whether I consciously intend to or not, I think I emphasize the beauty of the Great Blue Heron rather than other qualities.

There’s no denying their beauty and their poise, but there is also a deadly side to their nature, which in the Pacific Northwest is most often displayed in their fishing skills.

Deadly0

It’s a lot easier getting a shot of a Great Blue Heron stalking prey than it is to get a shot of them catching a fish,

Deadly01

but shots like this make it clear why eagles prefer to steal fish from Great Blue Herons rather than catch their own.

I was really disappointed when I missed the shot of the two herons kick boxing, but this sequence mitigated my frustration

Deadly1

because it captured some of the same essence of their power.

Deadly2

They may be intimidated by Bald Eagles, but Great Blue Herons are a ferocious predator in their own right.