We thought they’d left already. Great Blue Herons had been missing from the bay for a few days. Then, there they were, upwards of fifteen of them spread out along the bay by the boardwalk in Summerside. Migration is in the air now as temperatures at night are in the single digits on occasion. My husband and I are happy to observe them at every opportunity.
Last month, we watched as one of the Greats caught its lunch as it stood near a sandbar.
We didn’t know at the time, but it had caught a Sculpin.
While humans don’t eat Sculpins, herons do. I watched the bird as it turned away from shore to eat the fish.
Our most recent encounter was with 10-15 of the large birds on a day with a slight breeze. It was hard to keep count of them since they flew around the bay, checking out different areas in the falling tide.
My husband’s photo of four of the Greats with the blue background of a heavy overcast day was my favourite group photo of that day.
Photos of the Greats in flight show the huge wing span.
Photos of them landing show the feet reaching for the ground.
The S shaped neck is clearly defined in this photo. This bird looks powerful.
This group photo shows three stances which we commonly see among the birds.
Some of my favourite photos show the neck feathers. Those feathers look fluffy when they are dry.
Wet is a different story.
These birds deserve the word great for so many reasons!
25 comments:
I assume ours are gone now until spring. Terrific shots.
They're fueling up for the long flight!
Amazing critters. Not many herons here right now either.
Great photos! These birds looks really magnificent!
Amazing captures of amazing birds...
Wow, your night temps are getting down there!!!
🎃 😊 🍁 🌰 🌻 🍂 🎃
GREAT photos of a great bird. Thank you.
i could not agree more, they are awesome!! i have never seen so many together...
i think this is my favorite large bird, your images are fantastic!!
What a great series of photos. I especially loved the second-to-last one, with the "fluffy" neck - it makes the bird look like quite a character :)
They must be migrating soon. Love that second last picture!
I love seeing the Great Herons. I usually see them in the winter in Florida and we one that lives in a nearby small round lake in Pennsylvania all summer- just one. They are fascinating and your photos are fabulous. thanks . Can't believe. you've gone down to single digits at night already. Brrr
If you're patient, herons provide some entertainment. They seem to find fish that nobody else can see.
Wonderful photos of these Greats.
I am a huge fan of great blue's. There is a rookerie near me when I could go in season, and take great pictures.
Looks like someone having a nice snack.
Coffee is on and stay safe
Hello,
The Great Blue Herons are one of my many favorite birds too.
I am happy just to sit and watch them on their hunt for food.
Great series of photos. Take care, enjoy your day!
I expect they will linger with you for a while yet, Marie. They are pretty hardy birds and some routinely remain here until the end of December. As long as there is open water there seems to be no problem for them to make a living, and they will turn to rodents and other items for food, anything they can swallow basically. I once saw one capture a chipmunk.
What fabulous pictures! I love the threesome in the early ones, and actually, all of them are wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing.
You certainly see bunches of them. There are only a few around here.
Those are fabulous pictures!!
Do you know how very fortunate you are? It all looks like heaven to me and I appreciate your sharing everything with us.
They are magnificent.
great photos! Herons are magnificent birds.
They look like they are ostrich cousins. Great pictures.
A beautifully created post of these amazing birds. Thank you.
Oh, my goodness! These are probably the best shots I have ever seen of the Great Blue Herons. I sure enjoyed seeing them.
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