Jordan Lake, Haw River: That is MY Spot…

The great blue herons are sorting out where the best fishing spots are within the riprap.  The heron on the left is a juvenile, hatched last year.  The heron on the far right is an adult and I think it is a female.  The middle heron, who’s priority is evident while he eats and ignores the sparring of the other two, is a mature male great blue heron.  The juvenile is using his crown feathers in a raised display, hoping to get the smaller heron to back off.  It didn’t work.  Right as I got to the end of the sequence, a 4th (unseen great blue heron) dove into the middle of the other three and they all scattered.