by Leslie Renjilian
Great Blue Heron
(Ardea herodias)
The clubbers on the war canoes were having a blast on Wednesday morning and I swear our heron, Steve*, looked sad to be missing out. Many of you have seen him standing on a boat or the ends of the docks or flying overhead with his little feet sticking out behind him. Many of you have named him. But what do we really know about our neighbor?
A few years ago, I asked Twan Leenders why we never see Mrs. Steve hanging out on the docks with her fellow, and the answer surprised me.
In spite of the fact that we see him everyday, our friend doesn't actually live on grounds or even bother with an overnight Gate Pass. He's just a day camper. Every night he heads off to bunk at the rookery or heronry with his family and friends. From Cornell: "Most breeding colonies are located within 2 to 4 miles of feeding areas, often in isolated swamps or on islands, and near lakes and ponds bordered by forests. Colonies can consist of 500 or more individual nests, with multiple nests per tree built 100 or more feet off the ground."
Twan says this about the Chautauqua Lake population: "I only know of a few sizable rookeries in the area, but suspect that most just nest individually, tucked into a wooded area. There always seems to be breeding activity near the DEC Fish Hatchery and on our neighboring preserves at the mouth of Pendergast Creek—which is likely the location closest to the Institution. There are undoubtedly more breeding spots in the barely accessible wetlands on the north end of the lake, in the Big Inlet and Little Inlet floodplains." Twan's photo below shows a nest near Frewsburg.
Despite the fact that the colony is so close, we aren't likely to meet any of Steve's friends or lovers because his hunting territory is not something he shares. "Away from the colony, Great Blue Herons defend feeding territories from other herons with dramatic displays in which the birds approach intruders with their head thrown back, wings outstretched, and bill pointing skyward. Gulls and even humans may also be a target of this defensive maneuver." (Cornell)
Since he didn't get ugly with me when I crept out on the dock to take his photo, I think it's only a matter of time before I get invited out to the rookery to meet wife and kids. I'm eager to see that!
Leslie Renjilian
Heron Househunter
* I was told with some authority that our guy's name is Steve. Coincidentally, we call the heron who hunts in our koi pond back home "Stephen Crane," but we never shorten to Steve. Does your family call Chautauqua Steve by a different name? Share your story!
Here are some more fun facts on herons from Cornell's All About Birds:
Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share.
Great Blue Herons in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada have benefited from the recovery of beaver populations, which have created a patchwork of swamps and meadows well-suited to foraging and nesting.
Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps.
Great Blue Herons congregate at fish hatcheries, creating potential problems for the fish farmers. A study found that herons ate mostly diseased fish that would have died shortly anyway. Sick fish spent more time near the surface of the water where they were more vulnerable to the herons.
Great Blue Herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They grab smaller prey in their strong mandibles or use their dagger-like bills to impale larger fish, often shaking them to break or relax the sharp spines before gulping them down.
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