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Great Blue Heron

The graceful, elegant, expansive, royal, exquisite, incomparable, GREAT BLUE HERON!

Can you tell I just LOVE them?

The first time I saw one, or many, was on Prince Edward Island in Canada.

That is the ONLY place I had ever seen them UNTIL…

I went to Florida.

Now I get to see them near every day and they NEVER get old or boring.

I never get complacent about them.

I have seen some with at least  six foot plus wing spans.

Recently, I saw one pluck a very long snake out of the water and gobble it up.

They always seems to be fishing, drying their beautiful wings in the sun, or preening.

Regardless of what they are doing, I can’t stop watching them. 

It halts me in my tracks. 

The Great Blue Heron, known as Ardea herodias, is a very large wading or water bird. It is from the family Ardeidae and they can be found on the shores of open water sources and especially in wetlands. They are predominately in North America and, also, in Central America. They can additionally be found in the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. The GBH is mostly found near salt water. They croak, call and clatter.

You have to see them in person to truly believe their beauty.

I can’t and refuse to get over my obsession with these majestic birds. 

Their wingspan is wider than I am tall and when I see them in the wild I can’t help but stop and stare. 

Like gators, sharks, armadillos  , sloths and many other wild creatures, Great Blue Herons never get old for me.