Where I live, it seems that Great Blue Herons are never far away. They may be down the street at the runoff pond, at the lake up in the hills, or on the breakwater in the harbor. I step out to check the mail and one of these huge birds might be flying over the rooftops on its way to the creek.
The bird in the pictures above and below was standing at the edge of an algae coated lake, which lent a brilliant, almost surreal backdrop to the motionless hunter:
Here, one glides to a landing on the beach carrying a fish it just caught:
However, these two find a shipyard more to their liking:
They breed in colonies, often building their nests high in trees. These young herons wait for their parents to deliver lunch:
Blue Herons are often seen wading in shallow water or in fields, so it can be surprising to find one perched in a tree or on some other object. This bird decided our neighbor’s roof was a good place to hang out:
Feathers & Leaves 