Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

 The Great Blue Heron is the largest and most widespread heron in North America. It is a large bird, with a slate-gray body, chestnut and black accents, and very long legs and an “S”-shaped neck. Great Blue Herons are very tall and stand 3 to 5 feet tall.
 Great Blue Herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They grab smaller prey in their strong mandibles or use their dagger-like bills to impale larger fish, often shaking them to break or relax the sharp spines before gulping them down.
A friend was taking photographs of a little bunny. She was all set up with her tripod when a nearby blue heron grabbed the bunny and swallowed it. She was not very happy.

Great blues perform elaborate courtship and pair-bonding displays that include a ritualized greeting, stick transfers, and nest relief ceremony in which the birds erect their plumes and “clapper” their bill tips. Pairs are mostly monogamous during a season, but they choose new partners each year.

2. One great blue out my back window, he did not seem very happy!

3. Then he decided to build a shelter to see fish better??

4. A young blue just coming out of the mangroves to start his day.

5. “What was that?” He seems to ask, twisting his neck to check it out.

5. Breakfast! He swallowed it whole.

7. On cruise control. So amazing, slow and steady.

8. A young blue.

9. Just taking off.

10. The regal Great Blue Heron.

11. Mom and dad with their nest. 
Dad brings in the branches and sticks them into the nest. ,

Mom usually takes it out and puts it in a different place, 
rearranging all the time. Does that sound familiar?  

12. They start off all stretched out, liftoff!

13. Reaching for the sky.

14. About to take off.

15. On the wing.

16. Usually birds vacate before they take off.
This one waited until he was airborne.

17. Male tapping female on the shoulder.

18. She came up to join him.

19. Looks like he was in a hurry!

20. Standing over the nest.

21. Male bringing a stick for the nest.

22. Coming in with the stick.

23. Carefully placing the stick.

24. A portrait.

25. Close up.

26. Young blue.

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Rookery

27. Parent overseeing nest with three babies.

28. Parent disgorging fish for babies.

29. Parent placing fish in nest.

30. Awaiting next meal.

31. Another nest with older chicks.

32. Another fish meal!

33. Male displaying when another bird got too close.

34. Mom and dad.

35. Just hanging out before another food run.

36. Dad on guard while mom out fishing.

37. Babies ready!!

38. Cute hair-doo’s.

39. Triplets.

40. On top of the mangroves, watching.

41. On top of the mangroves, watching.

42. On top of the mangroves, adjusting.

43. Very wet.

44. Hoping to dry out here behind my house.

 44a. Lifting feathers one at a time to dry them.

45. A gull flew by and dropped a large pink something, a second gull tried to pick it up, but could not. The great blue heron swooped in and grabbed it, here he is swallowing it.

45. Has it mostly down.

47. Drying off after rains from Hurricane Sally.

48. Juvenile drying off.

48. Nice epaulettes!

49. In the thicket.

50. Old knobby knees.