It wasn't that many years ago when you never would have seen a Great Blue Heron in this ecosystem; but now we see the Great Blues in December around this area.  What surprises most everyone is how strong, robust and adaptable this very large bird species really is. 

     The Great Blue Heron has a wingspan of six feet, and is over four feet beak-to-tail!  They are more greyish than blue to your eyes, and nowhere near the color of our Mountain Bluebirds here in Wyoming.  But this large bird is quite able to adapt to our harsher winters apparently, because I had the opportunity to photograph a fine example just the other day, and was able to capture the majestic, long necked bird in flight; which has always been my favorite challenge with any bird. Great Blue Heron, Wind River Canyon, WyomingGreat Blue Heron in Flight, Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.      The Great Blue Heron is not an endangered species, because of their adaptability this bird is doing quite nicely; they are seen from Alaska to Central America.  They have the diet of an animal that can survive nearly anywhere----small fish, shrimp, crabs, aquatic bugs, mice, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, rodents and small birds; if it's small and moving they can eat it.  A study in Idaho in '79 showed their diet consisted of 24 to 40% voles, and some are adapting unnoticed around here now.  The large raptors are the Great Blues only natural enemy, and the Bald Eagles are the only predator to hunt them at all stages of development.

     What surprises me about this huge bird is how ancient they appear; their head reminds me of the flying dinosaurs in those movies we all love.  I do know that they don't trust me, and it is fun to sneak around trying to photograph big birds, but this one gave me quite a show.  As he finally noticed me and took flight, he banked a great, wide turn and flew right over me and my Canon, then landed where I could not follow.  This frame was my favorite of more than 200 I shot of him the other morning; that wingspan is six feet! and you have to love that yellow eye.

     The Great Blue Heron doesn't yet nest in the Wind River Canyon, but I suspect they will nest here or somewhere close sometime soon.  They are a beautiful bird and a great addition to the magical hidden world of the Wind River Canyon.

Photography, digital darkroom, website HogbatsPhotography.com and writing by Michael John Balog.

Thank you for ingesting my blog this week----next week one of my favorite Wind River Canyon residents, and remember, "Keep your camera ready."