Great Blue Heron Red Bellied Woodpecker Blue Jay Ruby Throated Hummingbird Black Billed Magpie
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Male and female Great Blue Herons are tall gray birds with a wingspan of up to 6 feet. They have black eyebrows that extend into several long plumes off the back of the head and a long yellow bill. Feathers at the base of the neck drop down in a kind of necklace. The juvenile is the same as the adult, but more brown than gray, with a black crown and no plumes. They are quite a sight to see when landing or taking off. They fly holding their neck in an "S" shape, with their long legs trailing out behind.
Great Blue Herons are non-migrators and are present in all counties of Ohio. They will bark like a dog when startled and can be seen stalking small fish in shallow water. Heathcliff was with us off and on for a week and I'm pretty sure we don't have too many fish left in our small pond.
They build their nests in treetops near or over open water and in colonies of up to 100 birds. It will strike at mice, squirrels and just about anything else it might come across. This smaller Great Blue decided to check out our flooded yard after a recent heavy rain.
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