No. I
Great
Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
- Locality
- Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
- Season
- Late spring
- Behavior
- Flying low over the refuge
In flight they look almost prehistoric — all wing, barely any bird.
In flight they look almost prehistoric — all wing, barely any bird.
The red bill is what gives it away. Without it, easy to mistake for a gull at a distance.
The head only reads iridescent green in direct light. Otherwise it's just dark.
None of them more than a few days old yet.
Rails stay hidden. This one stepped into the open for about four seconds.
Common enough to overlook. Worth not overlooking.
The song is the actual field mark — a few clear notes, then a buzzy trill.
Everywhere, all the time. Still worth a plate.
The blue-green back only shows in the right light — otherwise it reads as black.