Encounter with a Great Blue Heron

I passed through Asbury Park and over the bridge to the Interlaken "island" -- I put "island" in quotes because it's really a promontory that is cut off from Interlaken not by water but by the railroad tracks. It just feels like an island. To my amazement, standing on the water's edge was a Great Blue Heron. I parked as quickly as I could and hurried back across the tracks. At first, I couldn't see it, but then it came into view, looking much smaller than it had from the car -- I was farther away: doh! I snapped off a couple of quick shots in case it took flight at my approach.

It was clearly aware of me because as I made my way across the circle, I had to go to the left. It looked over its other shoulder to get a better look. Finally I was able to get a shot that included its legs. It was at first unmoved by my presence, but then it's neck started to extend as it began to think that I was going to be a nuisance.

I was also realizing that by moving to its north side, I'd made taking pictures more difficult because I was more and more looking into the sun.

I headed back to the road to get a better angle with the sun and was rewarded with a much clearer shot. But then the bird had had enough, deciding to put some distance between itself and me. It started by walking along the bank.

This led to the shot that I published on Facebook. I was simply tracking the bird and taking pictures, so at the time I wasn't really noticing the background where minor variations of the angle with the sun affected the apparent color of the water.

It wasn't long before the bird took to the air. I should not have been surprised that it started out by dipping towards the water. I was able to get two shots of it flying, neither of which is particularly pleasing, but they're not that bad, either.