Great Blue Heron

Hello fellow birders! It has been a long time since I have posted to this blog, but that is certainly not due to a lack of birds. In the past few weeks I have been visited by birds including the barn swallow, killdeer, green heron, red-winged blackbird, northern mockingbird, mallard, common grackle, cowbird, and European starling. I have been enjoying watching these birds but I have simply not had the time to sit down and tell you about them. 

With so many birds to choose from it is difficult for me to decide which one to profile first. I was thinking about it and then I looked out my window and the bird himself helped me decide. Standing there across the lake was (and still is) a beautiful, exquisite Great Blue Heron.

Before I started working here at St. Charles Community College, I had never seen a Great Blue Heron. A coworker of mine pointed the bird out one day and I was so impressed with how big and graceful it looked. I could not believe he was just standing there outside my window. I wanted to take a picture in case I never saw it again. Well, I did not have my camera that day but it was not a problem because this bird visits me pretty much every day. I do not know if it is the same exact Great Blue Heron, but it has become quite normal to see one out there on a daily basis.

The Great Blue Heron is the largest and most widespread heron in North America. (There is also an all-white form found from southern Florida into the Caribbean and frequently known as the Great White Heron.) It can stand up to 54 inches tall with a wingspan of up to 79 inches long. It is simply amazing to see this bird gracefully fly down to the lake.

The bird is mostly a grey/blue color with a white crown and shaggy feathers on its neck and back. He has long legs and a long, thick bill. One day, when my friend and I went outside to see him up close he let out a loud, harsh croak when he flew away. It was not the noise I would expect to come out of such a beautiful creature!

I have noticed that this bird is always alone. Great Blue Herons are generally solitary feeders. Great Blue Herons eat mostly fish but they will eat mice, turtles and other animals as well. These herons like to congregate at fish hatcheries and eat the fish that are sick or diseased since those are the fish that tend to swim closer to the surface of the water. Herons locate their food by sight and usually swallow it whole. Occasionally the herons even choke to death trying to swallow a fish that is too large. The lake here at SCC is very shallow compared to past months since we have not had rain lately. This is giving the Great Blue Heron more shallow water to wade through with his long legs. This could be why he has been hanging around so often. 

Every time I see the Great Blue Heron outside the bookstore I feel lucky. I am so grateful to have the chance to observe and appreciate the beauty of this bird. It is like a little zoo in my workplace. 

Come back soon--I have so many more birds to talk about!