Figure 1 – Great blue heron on Little Fresh Pond, Cambridge, MA. (c) DE Wolf 2015.

By far the king of Massachusetts water birds is the elegant Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias. They walk stealthily along the sides of ponds and nest high in inundated trees creating an inspiring sense of timelessness and Jurassic splendor. I have been away from Fresh Pond for two weeks. So yesterday I braved what the weatherman had warmed me was “oppressive” heat and humidity and went out for my usual walk. I was rewarded by a great blue heron across Little Fresh Pond from me just in front of the bull rushes. He was arguably a little further than my 70 to 200 mm could really handle. But he was glorious.

Canon T2i with EF70-200mm f/4L USM lens, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority AE mode, 1/2000th sec at f/7.1 with no exposure compensation