Grey Blue Heron

Grey-Blue Heron resting along the Powder River, Oregon

Since it's been pretty dry and very hot this summer, wildlife has been very sparse this year, as deer and elk and other animals prefer to stay in the shade rather than bask in the blazing sun. Well, this past Saturday, on my way to my mission church in halfway, I came a cross a grey-blue heron resting in the Powder River. They usually fly away as soon as they see an intruder or someone getting close to them. However this time I was lucky to have snapped a quick picture from my car, before he took off, gliding away, as you can see from the second photo. Notice his incredible wing-span too. The Great Blue Heron is found throughout most of North America, as far north as Alaska and the southern Canadian provinces. There are blue herons and grey ones, and have rarely traveled to Europe.

They may be found in numbers in fresh and saltwater marches, swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, or shorelines, as well as rivers, as was the heron I encountered last week. They are quite adaptable and may be seen in heavily developed areas as long as they hold bodies of water bearing fish. Great Blue Herons rarely venture far from bodies of water but are occasionally seen flying over upland areas. They usually nest in trees or bushes near water's edge, often on islands (which minimizes the potential for predation) or partially isolated spots.