I have them in my pond here in Florida. They don’t get along with each other at all. All the other water birds have a great respect for their size and beaks. Very wary of them. They will sit on the grass and hold their wings out and down to allow the sun to dry their feathers. I have had to call the Seabird Sanctuary to catch one with a fish hook stuck down their throat with the fishing line hanging out. They put bait fish inside a snare on the ground and snag a leg. The hook is removed at the facility and they are back in business!

Donkees

(33,745 posts)

9. Thank you for caring for them 💕

Reply to MOMFUDSKI (Reply #2)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 10:05 AM

Sep 2023

calimary

(90,817 posts)

3. Beautiful!

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 08:31 AM

Sep 2023

niyad

(134,035 posts)

4. Thank you.

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 08:31 AM

Sep 2023

70sEraVet

(5,616 posts)

5. There's a Heron near me that hangs out with buzzards. I see them together all the time.

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 08:59 AM

Sep 2023

I finally got a photo the other day. Not the best photo, but they scatter if anybody gets near them.
Certainly not the quality of your photo!

Donkees

(33,745 posts)

8. The skittish buzzards might be the heron's alarm system (?)

Reply to 70sEraVet (Reply #5)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 10:00 AM

Sep 2023

looks like a large family group.

70sEraVet

(5,616 posts)

10. They seem to spend nights together. And I thought too, that they hang together for protection.

Reply to Donkees (Reply #8)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 11:03 AM

Sep 2023

Donkees

(33,745 posts)

11. I just read that "The great blue heron is a cousin to the turkey vulture."

Reply to 70sEraVet (Reply #10)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 11:35 AM

Sep 2023

Watching a YouTube video, I was surprised to see a great blue heron sliding his neck under a vulture to steal a fish Seems like extended family behavior.

3Hotdogs

(15,548 posts)

6. Photo is perfect.

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 09:34 AM

Sep 2023

There are patches of pink on the underside of the wings.

Donkees

(33,745 posts)

7. And two lotus blossoms within the ripple mandala, painted by her feet

Reply to 3Hotdogs (Reply #6)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 09:47 AM

Sep 2023

S/V Loner

(9,561 posts)

12. I photograph Blue Herons a lot and...

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 11:43 AM

Sep 2023

That is a great shot.

Donkees

(33,745 posts)

13. Tony Markle is in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada ...

Reply to S/V Loner (Reply #12)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 11:54 AM

Sep 2023

I enjoy seeing his work.

S/V Loner

(9,561 posts)

14. To photograph wildlife in...

Reply to Donkees (Reply #13)

Sat Sep 30, 2023, 03:46 PM

Sep 2023

that area would be on my bucket list if I were not so cheap. LOL

AllaN01Bear

(29,805 posts)

15. ohh,ahhh.

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Thu Oct 5, 2023, 02:28 PM

Oct 2023

Emile

(43,279 posts)

16. I have them on my pond.

Reply to Donkees (Original post)

Fri Oct 6, 2023, 07:31 PM

Oct 2023

My pond has an overabundant population of bluegill and I welcome these birds to help me thin them out.

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