Not long after She Who Must Be Obeyed set off for work, I headed down to Hinckley Lake. It was a hazy morning and not too late for some wonderful visual effects caused by the low angle Sun shining through. I saw some quiet and moody sights, shot many photos and, as I was doubling back on the hiking trail I'd taken out, encountered a Great Blue Heron in the lake's nearby shallows. I got a couple of nice close-ups before it warily waded farther out. Then it stopped, lowered its head, raised its right leg, and started scratching! A mundane task, perhaps, but the still photos give it a different character. This quick-pick is (so far) my favorite photo of the morning, both at the lake and at home. I had a nice quiet hike in the morning air, saw some beautiful sights, and captured some good images. It was a fine morning at Hinckley Lake.
PhotonStopper 
Outstanding image.Although, I burst out laughing when I saw it, because coming to it cold, I didn't see scratching/preening. Instead, I got a kind of exasperated punk heron version of Elmer Fudd: be vewwy vewwy quiet, I'm hunting twout.Which may just mean I need my morning coffee more than I know. 🙂
As Elmer might say…. "Ha-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-hh!" –JG
I love the Great Blues – you can hear their wings creaking as they take off: slowing, largely, but so, so gracefully.
Love them.