immature great blue heron

Tag

By Belly Button

Jordan Lake. It seems this immature great blue heron is trying to see if he has a belly button. Birds do have belly buttons, however, by time they’re hatched, the navel scar is so tiny you would have trouble finding it. Alas, I’m sure this youngster won’t be able to see his own navel.

immature great blue heron

By Jordan Lake Dam: Great Blue Heron, immature
This is the immature heron that was in this morning’s Facebook video greeting.
He is probably a year old as he has developed head plumes and is beginning to change his head markings.
If you look carefully, you can see some fishing line wrapped around his left leg.
The fishing line bothers me a great deal, but thankfully it doesn’t appear to be bothering him.

By The BIG One …
The BIG one doesn’t always get away …
this immature great blue heron caught this fish 
at the Jordan Lake Dam in the fog early this morning.
I didn’t get to see if he managed to swallow the fish.
The heron headed for the far bank and I lost him in the shadows.

By Great Blue Heron Youngsters Argue
One section of the riprap at the Jordan Lake dam erupted this morning in gronks and growls and squeals.
Two immature great blue herons were trying to claim a section of shoreline for themselves.
Notice that as the flight continues, the birds’ necks get longer and longer.
Normal flight for great blue herons is with the neck folded back into their shoulders.
The heron with the most elongated neck is proving that he is better than the other.
One of the youngsters actually ends up having to fold his neck back up and drag his toes to maintain flight.
PS: the green and red smudges near the end are leaf fringes that I am shooting through.