HiveComb

HOQUIAM, Wash.

I've been in a funk for months now, creatively, but this spring weather has got my juices flowing again.

Last week, I walked out to the Grays Harbor bay for a brief, late afternoon photoshoot.

I headed for my favorite spot along the tidal inlet that borders Dog Marsh, Hoquiam's unofficial dog park, thinking I might spy some migrating waterfowl.

There was one exotic-looking duck on the water as I got into position along the bank, but it quickly exited the scene. Beyond that, there were very few birds around; evidently, migration season hadn't quite kicked off. And the tide was going out, turning the inlet into a broad mudflat, which prevented any waterbirds from seeking shelter there for the night.

A flock of Canadian geese had settled into the grass and wetlands of Dog Marsh. A few groups of humans were also wandering around there, and I avoid humans like the plague, in general and especially on my photowalks, so I stuck to my secluded spot on the inlet.

The people and their dogs kept stirring the geese to wheel above the marsh.

A small plane circled above.

With the water draining rapidly from the inlet, and the general hubbub from the people in the marsh, I soon decided I wouldn't likely see any migrating birds. I clambered back into the tangle of driftwood that gathers at the head of the inlet for a context shot before packing up to head home.

I had just finished packing the camera when a great blue heron floated over the bank on the marsh side and took up position on a channel worn in the mudflat.

This seems to happen frequently on my photoshoots: just when I decide it's the end, something interesting starts happening!

The heron stalked the channel, following the tideline as it receded and watching the mouth of the channel for any slow, escaping fish.

I don't think it caught many fish, if any. I only saw it crouch and spear the water a couple of times, and I never saw it come up with anything.

It was so intent on its fishing, though, that even as I moved around in the driftwood I didn't seem to disturb it. I had ample opportunity to photograph it, which I did: I took 103 shots to come up with the 10 for this post.

In the end, I even had time to backtrack across the driftwood, to use the channel as a leading line for this parting shot.

All in all, not a bad outing for the first after my winter funk!

• The great blue heron is a year-round resident of Grays Harbor, not a migrating visitor.
• All photos taken with my Canon EOS 80D: the landscapes and first heron pic with a standard 18-55mm lens and the remainder of the heron photos with a 75-300mm zoom.
• The way a heron stalks its meal is really a sight to behold. I didn't take any good video on this outing, but here's a low quality video from 2019, which I filmed in this same tidal inlet, that shows a heron in action.