In my post a few days ago, I shared about encountering an injured Great Blue Heron at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. This beautiful bird had a large fishing lure deeply embedded in its foot. I was worried about its chances of survival and contacted the refuge staff to report the injured heron.
I returned to the refuge a few days later and was thrilled to spot the same Great Blue Heron, recognizable by the shiny lure still stuck in its foot. As I watched it hunt for food, I was impressed by its ability to catch small fish despite the handicap. In the attached photo, you can see it tossing a fish in the air before swallowing its meal.
While it seems to be getting enough to eat, the injury is clearly still impacting the heron. It avoids putting weight on the leg with the hooked foot, which causes it to struggle to maintain balance at times. Yet it persists, demonstrating the resilience that wildlife must have to survive in nature.
I’m amazed this Great Blue Heron has managed to adapt to its injury and continue hunting for food. However, I still believe the lure needs to be removed for it to make a full recovery. I plan to check back in with the refuge staff soon to get an update on any rescue efforts. We can all learn something from this heron’s determination to push through adversity. I feel privileged to be able to document its story and share its remarkable survival instinct.
Image Information:
- Date: 6/24/2021
- Time: 7:51 AM
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 800
- ISO: 6400
- Aperture: 11
- Shutter: 1/1000
- Exp. Comp.: -0.7
- Program: Manual