A Great Blue Heron waits patiently along an ocean tributary shoreline as it stares into its reflection awaiting a glimpse of dinner. We were captivated by this vibrant, majestic, ‘graceful hunter’ which was  presented to us by Sandy Stewart. What caught my attention the most were its unique, dangling feathers beneath its neck. I wonder if these feathers are a tactic to attract a mating partner? Nonetheless, watching a Great Blue Heron as it hunts would be quite the display and we were impressed that Sandy captured it in such detail and quality!

The relationship between hunter and hunted can be aggressive, yet passive. Lurking around for prey is a major part of a predators day. Although this heron must do a significant amount of waiting, Sandy writes in the photo’s description about how it proved to be a skilled and successful hunter – you would have to be to be able to see tiny fish through muddy waters!

With the constant risk of polluted waters, endangered environments, and major threats to biodiversity, it’s comforting to see that this heron has an area to safely feed. Catching wildlife as they enjoy the environments that we love to conserve and protect makes every effort worthwhile. This heron is happily making the most out of a healthy wetland and its beauty is an obvious reason why herons are one of our favourite wetland species.

This beautiful image was accompanied by a great detailed description including many facts on the Great Blue Heron species, if you would like to read more on this species click here to read Sandy’s description.  Sandy Stewart has a stunning collection of wildlife and nature photography which she offers in posters, calendars, cards, and many other prints. If you would like to view more of her work click here! As well, make sure to visit our rapidly growing collection of BC wetlands photography, there are many new unique and creative submissions and our decisions are made tougher every week! Thank you to Sandy and all of our participants in our Wetlands of British Columbia group!