Scott Flaherty Photography

06/07/2026

Great Blue Heron
Central Ohio

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

Conservation Status (IUCN): Least Concern
Population Trend: Increasing

Great Blue Herons are among the most iconic wetland birds in North America — patient hunters that rely on healthy rivers, marshes, and shorelines to thrive. Their presence is often a sign of a functioning ecosystem, one with clean water, stable fish populations, and enough undisturbed habitat for these solitary birds to feed and nest.

After facing declines in the early 20th century, Great Blue Herons have rebounded thanks to wetland protection, reduced pollution, and decades of habitat restoration. Their increasing population is a reminder that conservation works when ecosystems are given space and time to recover.

This moment — a heron standing quietly against the backdrop of flowing water — captures the calm strength of a species deeply tied to the health of our waterways.

Sony A7R V • Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM + 2.0x TC

06/07/2026

Mute Swans
Central Ohio

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

Conservation Status (IUCN): Least Concern
Population Trend: Increasing

Mute Swans are one of the most recognizable waterbirds in the world — graceful, powerful, and deeply tied to the health of the wetlands they inhabit. Their presence on a quiet lake or river often signals stable habitat with enough vegetation, open water, and food to support large aquatic birds.

Globally, Mute Swan populations are increasing, thanks in part to protected wetlands, reduced hunting pressure, and successful management programs. In North America, they’re considered non‑native, but in many parts of Europe and Asia they remain an important part of wetland ecosystems, shaping vegetation and influencing the distribution of smaller waterbirds.

Moments like this — two swans gliding across still water — highlight the importance of preserving natural spaces where wildlife can thrive undisturbed.

Sony A7R V • Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM + 2.0x TC

06/07/2026

Great Egret
Central Ohio

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

Conservation Status (IUCN): Least Concern
Population Trend: Increasing

Great Egrets are icons of wetland health — patient hunters that rely on clean, shallow waterways to find fish, amphibians, and invertebrates. Their presence is often a sign that a river system is functioning well, with enough habitat and food to support a top wetland predator.

It wasn’t always this way. In the early 1900s, Great Egrets were nearly wiped out across North America due to the plume trade. Their recovery is one of conservation’s great success stories, driven by legal protections, wetland restoration, and decades of habitat stewardship. Today, their increasing population reminds us that ecosystems can rebound when given the chance.

Moments like this — a solitary egret standing quietly in the current — highlight the importance of protecting rivers, marshes, and floodplains that support both wildlife and the communities around them.

Sony A7R V • Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM + 2.0x TC

06/06/2026

Spent a quiet morning at Griggs Dam. Not much happening, just a white‑tailed deer slipping down to the water for a drink. She thought about crossing, but the current had other plans, so she eased back to the shoreline.
www.scottflahertyphoto.com

20/05/2026

I've reprocessed my Milky Way over Cradle Mountain photo. This time bringing out a different color palette.

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

23/04/2026

Bare-nosed Wombat
Tasmania, Australia

Wombats shape these landscapes in ways most people never see. Their burrows create shelter for other species, and their constant grazing helps maintain healthy grasslands. Seeing one this close, feeding naturally and completely at ease, is a reminder of how much these ecosystems rely on the quiet work of animals that spend their lives underground and at the edges of the forest.

Protected habitat is what makes moments like this possible — and what keeps wombat populations stable in the face of threats like habitat loss and mange.

Sony A9 II, Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

23/04/2026

Happy International Pallas’s Cat Day!

International Pallas’s Cat Day highlights the work of conservation groups studying their movements, improving population monitoring, and protecting the fragile ecosystems they depend on.

Raising awareness is a meaningful part of that effort — most people have never even heard of this species.

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day!
www.scottflahertyphoto.com

22/04/2026

Wombat
An evening stroll for one of the cutest animals on earth. We ran into this adorable fella (or gal) near Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia.

Sony A9 II, Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM

www.scottflahertyphoto.com

Natural Habitat Adventures

06/04/2026

The Southeast Australia gallery is live on my website now. There are three sections, Kangaroo Island, Victoria and the Great Ocean Road, and last but definitely not least . . . Tasmania.

Natural Habitat Adventures

Photo collection by Scott Flaherty Photography