Monday, November 11, 2013

Patient Fisherman


Long on patience, the Great Blue Heron stands ready to strike.  First of all, I envy the patience these creatures possess.  If I were to stand as still as they for as long as they, I would be so stiff that nothing would be the catch of the day.  When these herons decide the quarry is within their long necked reach, lightning fast they are.  There is a gracefulness to the movements of this bird which can stand as tall as four feet and has a wingspan of 72 inches.  Hard not to notice something like that.

 

Almost everyone knows of these birds.  Young, old, novice, and expert—doesn’t matter.  These birds are so common and so widely distributed that so many have seen one.  But few know there is a white phase.  The Great White Heron can fool many a birder.  The definitive field mark is the legs.  The Great White Heron has pale yellow legs, while the Great Egret has dark black legs.  So, look carefully.

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