Our fellow Master Naturalist Jean Parker sent us this story of a blue heron in her backyard.
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I saw a blue heron in my backyard today. He was at my pond. Again! Last year he emptied my pond of 13 fish, including some 5-7 inch ones! He did it all in ONE afternoon when I was out. I did some research back then and found they LOVE backyard ponds. Makes their job so much easier...like shooting fish in a barrel...
I live in the middle of a suburb and find it curious that this huge bird flies our city skies.
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| Jean's pond |
I restocked the pond and placed some old netting I had over the pond. No more fatalities! But he returns without fail, just in case. This time I shooshed him away and he flew to the top of my shed and stayed there for about half an hour. No matter what I did he ignored me. He knew my feeble earthbound limits.
Their feeding habits are described in abcbirds.org:
"The Great Blue Heron will eat whatever it can catch with its formidable bill: fish, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds — especially ducklings. It usually forages alone, locating food by sight. Once a Great Blue Heron spots a meal, it strikes quickly, straightening its long, powerful neck and grabbing its quarry with its spear-like bill, then swallowing it whole. Excellent night vision allows this versatile wading bird to hunt in darkness as well as in daylight."
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| Not a fish! - Joe Motto |
According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. They represent an ability to progress and evolve. The long thin legs of the heron reflect that an individual doesn't need great massive pillars to remain stable, but must be able to stand on one's own.
Editor's note:
The description of GBH feeding is right on. Some years ago I pulled up to our Bull Creek crossing and saw a great blue heron at the end of our swimming hole. I rolled down the truck window, zoomed in with my telephoto, and snapped five quick shots. I was surprised with my luck capturing this series.
Regarding their broad range of food choices, my bird photographer friend Joe Motto captured the one above choosing a red meat diet. Swallowed whole, that must have been one interesting poop!
