{"id":110315,"date":"2023-02-16T03:20:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T10:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=110315"},"modified":"2023-02-16T04:41:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T11:41:36","slug":"great-blue-heron-slip-slidin-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/16\/great-blue-heron-slip-slidin-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Blue Heron Slip Slidin’ Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, I visited Bear River MBR<\/span><\/a> and had a fantastic time capturing photographs of birds sliding on the ice. This included an adult Great Blue Heron. Yesterday I wrote about a Common Goldeneye being chased on slippery ice by a Common Merganser<\/span><\/a> and a heron. Today, the heron is the star of the ice capades.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron coming in for an icy landing \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

That morning I saw a Great Blue Heron flying into an area where there were small patches of open water. I focused on it as it was landing. The light was great, my shutter speed was good, and I was hoping for some action. I thought the heron might catch a fish.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron landing on ice while sliding \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of the heron shows where it had just slid right off of the thicker ice shelf almost immediately after its feet touched the ice. I am not sure this is where the large wading bird intended to be when it landed. It may have been several feet off its mark.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron stabilizing after an icy landing \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the heron had finished fluttering its wings it seemed to take a few seconds to assess the icy situation.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron walking carefully on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The nearby diving ducks were busy hunting for fish, and the heron started to carefully move towards them. Lifting one foot and moving it slowly forward, the heron inched its way closer to the ducks.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Great Blue slipping on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

After just a few steps forward, the heron began to have difficulties staying upright on the slippery ice. The heron started using its wings to maintain its balance.<\/p>\n

Yes, I started laughing. I laughed at the ducks slipping and sliding across the ice. I didn’t want this heron to feel left out by not hearing my laughter ringing out over the frozen wetlands. The truth is that I couldn’t have stopped my laughter if I tried.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron regaining its balance on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Great Blue Heron tried to move forward, I tried to muffle my laughter. I managed to keep my focus sharply on the heron somehow.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Great Blue Heron sliding on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The heron’s movements were painstakingly slow on the ice. That gave me time to take quite a few photos of it while it used its wings to maintain its balance.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron trying not to slip on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

For a brief period the heron seemed to have figured out how to move forward on the slick, icy surface without falling down.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron jumping across open water into ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

But then the heron jumped across the small channel of open water to the ice on the other side. I fired a burst of shots in anticipation of what I expected to happen next..<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron sliding on slippery ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Great Blue Heron started sliding on the slippery ice again. I really did think it was going to land on its feathered bottom after jumping over the open water.<\/p>\n

Having the tops of the ducks’ heads at the bottom of these frames probably isn’t ideal. They were there though, and for me the action of the heron was my focus. I didn’t have time to ask the ducks to… duck. Not that they would have listened anyway.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron attempting to regain its balance again \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Great Blue Heron used its wings again to help it regain its balance. That seems to be a good strategy because it never did fall onto its fluffy butt.<\/p>\n

\"GreatGreat Blue Heron walking gingerly on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn’t really need to add yet another photo to this post but I felt as if I needed to share one photo after the heron regained its footing and looked as regal as a heron can on ice.<\/p>\n

I almost wish I had been shooting video instead of still photos. Still photos are great, but the videos would have shown the action better.<\/p>\n

As for my title choice? I bet a few people have an earworm now. If you don’t have a listen to this recording<\/span><\/a>. Paul Simon might think my title choice including the words “Slip Slidin’ Away” is for the birds. He’d be absolutely correct.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Great Blue Heron photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, I visited Bear River MBR and had a fantastic time capturing photographs of birds sliding on the ice. This included an adult Great Blue Heron.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":110280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,27,1148,166,26],"tags":[4004,4117,4052,4122,3987,627,626,4064,6241,2655,4123,4094,5527,5493,13682,8092,5585,313,4236,4095,373],"class_list":["post-110315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-great-blue-herons","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-ardea-herodias","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-great-blue-heron","tag-heron","tag-herons","tag-ice","tag-icy","tag-jumping","tag-landing","tag-marsh","tag-open-water","tag-sliding","tag-slip","tag-slippery","tag-slipping","tag-wading-birds","tag-walking","tag-wetlands","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3651.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-sHh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":117958,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/08\/great-blue-heron-photos-in-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":110315,"position":0},"title":"Great Blue Heron Photos In Winter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"If you want to take Great Blue Heron photos in winter, on snow and ice, then head to Bear River MBR in Utah after the marsh freezes and the snow starts to fall.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up Great Blue Heron walking on ice, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/great-blue-heron-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-3169.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119530,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/05\/winter-great-blue-heron-on-thin-bear-river-ice\/","url_meta":{"origin":110315,"position":1},"title":"Winter Great Blue Heron On Thin Bear River Ice – Utah Is On Thin Ice Too","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this Great Blue Heron almost two years ago, walking gingerly on the thinning ice of the Bear River. 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