{"id":84746,"date":"2021-04-17T05:41:35","date_gmt":"2021-04-17T11:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=84746"},"modified":"2025-08-20T07:54:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T12:54:57","slug":"spring-great-blue-heron-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/17\/spring-great-blue-heron-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Great Blue Heron Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpringSpring Great Blue Heron adult \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The marshes and wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a> have started to warm up with the arrival of spring and so has bird photography on the refuge. Our Great Blue Herons are year round residents in northern Utah and they have just gone through a winter that I know for certain I could not survive out in the open marshes without shelter. They have survived bitter cold, high winds, drifting snow, long frigid nights and are now in their breeding season.<\/p>\n

When I found several Great Blue Herons on the north side of the auto tour route earlier this week I felt I had to stop and photograph them to celebrate their survival and the arrival of warmer, more pleasant days. They were on the wrong side of the road for me to photograph them from the driver’s window of my Jeep but it was easy enough to make a quick turn to take photos of them in good light.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Great Blue Heron in the wetlands of Bear River MBR \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There were two Great Blue Herons that stuck around long enough for me to take a series of images of them both. The first Great Blue Heron was quietly wading through the water in search of prey and the second heron was looking at something in the distance.<\/p>\n

Both herons may already be feeding their young from this season. Great Blue Herons nest early here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

I adore these large wading birds and will photograph them whenever I have the opportunity. I’m happy that I stopped to take spring photos of these two.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

The first Great Blue Heron was quietly wading through the water in search of prey and the second heron was looking at something in the distance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153049,"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":[4004,4117,11434,3987,627,626,4094,610,5558,165,6244,11433,313,4095,373],"class_list":["post-84746","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-celebrate","tag-great-blue-heron","tag-heron","tag-herons","tag-marsh","tag-marshes","tag-river","tag-spring","tag-survival","tag-wading","tag-wading-birds","tag-wetlands","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/great-blue-heron-marsh-spring-mia-mcpherson-5605.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-m2S","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":120400,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/03\/great-blue-heron-and-reflection-on-the-bear-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":84746,"position":0},"title":"Great Blue Heron And Reflection On The Bear River","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I'm sharing a simple Great Blue Heron photo I took late last month at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I liked the heron's reflection on the Bear River.","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":", Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/great-blue-heron-river-near-rocks-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/great-blue-heron-river-near-rocks-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4634.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/great-blue-heron-river-near-rocks-brmbr-mia-mcpherson-4634.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Heron In Front Of The Promontory Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I liked this image of an immature Great Blue Heron flying in front of the snow covered Promontory Mountains even though the heron is small in the frame.","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":"Immature Great Blue Heron flying in front of snow covered mountains, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, 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Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm keeping it simple today and sharing a single photo of a winter Great Blue Heron in flight over the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","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":"Winter Great Blue Heron in flight, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-blue-heron-winter-flight-mia-mcpherson-7831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-blue-heron-winter-flight-mia-mcpherson-7831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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