We’ve named the great blue heron who frequently visits our pier. We call him Fred. I can’t recall exactly why.
One day my husband was fishing on the end of the pier. I was looking out the front window to see if he was having any luck. All of a sudden, I saw Fred walking toward him, and he didn’t seem one bit shy.
I grabbed the camera, hoping I would be able to get some pictures before he flew off. Quietly, I walked towards Fred, snapping shots as quickly as I could. To my surprise, he just stood there.
Then I realized he was waiting for my husband to catch some fish and share it. Apparently, others had been doing just that. He let me get within 3 feet of him. I guess he suddenly realized we hadn’t caught any fish, and flew off, disappointed.
Great blue herons are the largest found in North America. They can be found along calm seacoasts, or small inland lakes, such as Little Lagoon. They usually make their nests up high in tall trees near the water. They lay 2-6 pale blue eggs.
Their diet consists of fish, small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. They walk around slowly and quickly stab their prey with their long, thick bill. Every once in a while, they will choke to death trying to eat a fish that is too large for their long throat.
These strange and funny, large gray creatures, with long, skinny legs and an “S” shaped neck, usually weigh about 5 lbs. and are around 4 feet tall. If you get up around daybreak, you can usually see at least a dozen of them sitting on the piers in front of our house.
If you’re interested in watching herons, and maybe even photographing the Great Blue Heron, please check out my vacation rental house, “Forever Yours” Gulf House, located on Little Lagoon in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama.
