With birding as in life, you never know what lies around the corner. I had two great blue heron sightings today. This morning, from the main observation platform at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton, I spotted a heron at the edge of the reeds on the back side of the pond in the center of the park.
I extended my zoom lens to 600 mm and took a few shots, which turned out better than my low expectations. It was the only bird I managed to get a clear shot of. There were plenty of white-throated sparrows and one or two hermit trushes singing, but they stayed in the shadows.
The sun was still shining brightly this afternoon, and the temperature rose a few degrees above freezing. I decided to see what I could find at John A. Roebling Park, a.k.a. Trenton marsh.
The visit started well. Getting out of my car, I could see several mallards in the marsh. On closer inspection, I discovered that several Northern shovelers were swimming with the mallards. Even a green-winged teal was among them.
I wandered up the trail that skirts the marsh, heading toward the bridge that connects to the back island. When I came out of the trees, I was startled to see a great blue heron standing just to the left of the bridge, roughly a mere 25 feet ahead of me.
The big bird’s back was to me, but it turned its head a couple of times, offering profile shots. The one topping this post was my pick for best of the lot, and I also like this next one. It’s a bit moodier than the other portrait.
I assume the bird heard my camera shutter, as it flew off after I squeezed off roughly a dozen frames. I’m glad it stuck around for those few seconds and gave me such a nice opportunity. š¦
The Jersey Birder 