Here you see a great blue heron ascending. In flight, great blues lumber along on their huge, curling wings that can be more than six feet in length. They often fly quite high and resemble bald eagles when their trailing legs are not visible.
When standing erect, the birds can be more than four and one-half feet tall. While hunting in the coves, marshes, and fields, these birds are silent stalkers; they move slowly on their reed-like legs, then stand still. At a distance, they look like a curl of smoke.
Nonetheless, they’re among our sparest birds; they usually weigh less than six pounds, according to reports. Yet, they’re voracious and indiscriminate eaters: They seem to eat just about anything that will fit down their slim necks – including insects, mice, snakes, frogs, toads, eels, and of course fish.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on May 2, 2023.)