Great Blue Herons - from LA River Pix

I was very excited that I had the chance yesterday afternoon to photograph close up, not one, but two Great Blue Herons. Probably a pretty geeky thing to say, but I have been trying to for a long time to get some intimate photos of these skittish creatures. The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) can grow up to 54 inches in height and has a wingspan of up to 79 inches, and when it flies it has an almost a prehistoric pterodactyl like look to it as it lumberingly spreads its massive wings and slowly launches itself into the air.

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It has a graceful glide once airborne, and you can usually get some nice enough shots of it going up and down the river if you have a long lens and some patience, but I have always found them elusive when it comes to capturing them just hanging out. The two I came across let me get within 10 feet of them and I was able to get a good number of frames off before they got bored with me. These were along the Glendale Narrows and you can usually find them there or at the other soft-bottomed stretch at the Sepulveda Basin where I have read they have a nesting colony.