2. One great blue out my back window, he did not seem very
happy!
3. Then he decided to build a shelter to see fish better??
4. A young blue just coming out of the mangroves to start his
day.
5. "What was that?" He seems to ask, twisting his
neck to check it out.
5. Breakfast! He swallowed it whole.
7. On cruise control. So amazing, slow and steady.
8. A young blue.
9. Just taking off.
10. The regal Great Blue Heron.
11. Mom and dad with their nest.
Dad brings in the branches
and sticks them into the nest. ,
Mom usually takes it out and puts it in a different place,
rearranging all the time. Does that sound familiar?
12. They start off all stretched out, liftoff!
13. Reaching for the sky.
14. About to take off.
15. On the wing.
16.
Usually birds vacate before they take off.
This one waited until he was airborne.
17. Male tapping female on the shoulder.
18. She
came up to join him.
19. Looks like he was in a hurry!
20. Standing over the nest.
21. Male bringing a stick for the nest.
22. Coming in with the stick.
23. Carefully placing the stick.
24. A portrait.
25. Close up.
26. Young blue.
27. Parent overseeing nest with three babies.
28. Parent disgorging fish for babies.
29. Parent placing fish in nest.
30. Awaiting next meal.
31. Another nest with older chicks.
32. Another fish meal!
33. Male displaying when another bird got too close.
34. Mom and dad.
35. Just hanging out before another food run.
36. Dad on guard while mom out fishing.
37. Babies ready!!
38. Cute hair-doo's.
39. Triplets.
40. On top of the mangroves, watching.
41. On top of the mangroves, watching.
42. On top of the mangroves, adjusting.
43. Very wet.
44. Hoping to dry out here behind my house.
44a. Lifting feathers one at a time to dry them.
45. A gull flew by and dropped a large pink something, a second gull tried to pick it up, but could not. The great blue heron swooped in and grabbed it, here he is swallowing it.
45. Has it mostly down.
47. Drying off after rains from Hurricane Sally.
48. Juvenile drying off.
48. Nice epaulettes!
49. In the thicket.
50. Old knobby knees.