Great Blue Herons A Delight To Behold

I saw not one but two great blue herons the other day. The sight of these birds always inspires me and fills me with a sense of awe as they fly with slow strong wing beats across the sky. These magnificent creatures truly are a treat for the eyes. These graceful birds are not always easy to spot, but I generally see a great blue heron twice or maybe three times a season, so to spot two of them together provided me with an unexpected gift. I assume they are a nesting pair, ready to lay and incubate their eggs.

The largest heron in North America, the great blue herons look gigantic in flight with their long legs, long necks held in towards their bodies, and their approximate six foot wingspans. These solitary birds can adapt to many habitats, and we are lucky that the MonDak is one area where these birds choose to nest. They live in sheltered, shallow bays, sloughs, marshes, wetlands, and shores of lakes and rivers.

These birds, although solitary foragers, generally breed in colonies of a few to a few hundred pairs, and do not like the presence of humans. Whole colonies will abandon their nests if disturbed by human activity. Adults bond for a year only, and find new mates each spring. In February, males select their individual nesting territory and set about to attract a female. A pair usually builds their platform-type nest high in a tree. Both male and female incubate the eggs, usually three to five eggs per couple, for the approximate month it takes for the eggs to hatch. Both parents regurgitate food for the young, who can fly at about two months of age but will continue to return to the nest for another few weeks.

These magnificent birds eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, small rodents such as gophers and mice, and small birds. When foraging for food, they stand motionlessly along riverbanks or wetlands, waiting for lunch to come walking along. They also will wade in belly deep water, and although they seem to move slowly, they snatch their prey with great speed by grabbing it with their bills.

Great blue herons hunt mostly during daytime hours, but they may also hunt at night.

Great blue herons do have some natural enemies. Bald eagles which are increasing in numbers but with less foraging habitat, have begun to feed on great blue heron chicks. Crows also loiter near nesting areas and raid eggs whenever possible.

Great blue herons, like many of us humans, greatly dislike noise. Construction work near a colony can totally disrupt it, leading the birds to totally abandon the nests.

If you see a great blue heron this season, consider yourself lucky.