Great blue herons, in an effort to keep cool, do what looks to us like a dog panting. It’s not the same process however. The great blue heron flutters its gular … its throat tissues. With the heron’s mouth open, the damp throat is rapidly fluttered and causes a living form of evaporative cooling! Almost like an air conditioner with feathers.
Chatham county
CategoryShade!
Ospreys don’t have roofs over their nests, so no shade. Excessive heat is dangerous to all animals. Osprey parents, especially mom, give up their own comfort in order to actually make shade for their chicks. The parent will stand with wings outspread for incredibly long minutes to make sure their chicks are cool. Here are three examples of mom osprey as she becomes a life sustaining shade.
National Bald Eagle Day, June 20, 2025
Face-Off
The immature great blue heron to the left is one of this year’s fledglings. The immature great blue heron to the right is probably from last year’s breeding cycle. All great blue herons are grumpy and very territorial. As you can see, the older youngster stands his place on the river’s edge and the younger bird eventually decides the better part of discretion is just to turn and walk off.
Fledge!
Fledge! The bald eagle chick on the left of nest brim thought hard. Launched. Set feet and wings for first landing! Disappeared as Captain Doug and I watched its very first flight! Check 1st photo again, go right of nest and see the other fledgling watching its sibling.
Back on the Lake
Oh, joy! Today was my first day back on the lake cruising with Captain Doug since my surgery. We quickly found a female bald eagle and a fledgling right close to her. I don’t know what nest they were from but it sure did my heart a whole lot of good to be in the living presence of such majesty again.
doc ellen's journey 