This great blue heron youngster, from this year’s breeding season, has an expression that I have also seen on five-year-old humans. He seems to be saying “OK, I got here to this place. Not sure what this place is. Now, what am I supposed to do next?”
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.
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.
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.
doc ellen's journey 