The Great Blue Heron Experience

This autumn is one of the prettiest autumns we've had in many years in the Northeast. The trees are spectacular with their brilliant colors. The maples are stunning in their fiery reds while the cherry trees show off their vivid yellows against a backdrop of oaks in their various colors. The deer are contented with all the acorns and hickory nuts that have fallen; while the woodpeckers, titmouse and nuthatches flit in between the branches to complete a picture prefect setting. This time of year I tent my pond with netting to keep the leaves and nuts out so I don't have to do so much cleaning out in the spring. I leave the sides up a bit so birds that fly in can get out. I also leave the front open to allow other animals and the turkeys to drink from the pond. In the past if a raccoon visits, the fish go to the bottom of the pond and hide. I never seemed to have a problem in the past. Well that changed this season. The other day when I let my dogs out they became quite excited about something in the woods; that’s when I noticed movement inside the tent over the pond. Quickly tying up the one dog who doesn't listen to well I went to see what was going on by the pond. To my surprise I had a very unwanted visitor who could or did wreak havoc with my fish. I had a Great Blue Heron now trying to get out of the tent. Hoping the Great Blue Heron wouldn't ensnare itself in the netting, I tried to lift the sides higher so he could walk out but that wasn't working. The Great Blue Heron decided to try to fly and ended up at the back of the enclosure with its wing now caught up in the netting and its bill twisted and through the netting. Working gingerly to free the croaking hissing heron was extremely difficult. He just was not co-operating. I finally released the heron hoping it would fly away but no, he decides to walk peeking the interest of the other dog who now wants to play with this huge bird. To say the least the Great Blue Heron was in no mood to play. That long "S" shaped neck was stabbing and wings were a beating as he and the dog started running through the woods. I finally managed to tie the dog up but not before “Mister” Great Blue Heron tangled himself up into the twisted brush and branches. The heron was lying so still on his back with his long neck between a bunch of twigs and branches I thought he was dead. I wanted to cry. Here I had freed this great blue heron with no injuries or damage only for him to die in the woods. Thinking maybe the blue heron still had some life in him I thought I could get him to the bird rescue place by me and save him. Just as I went to touch the Great Blue Heron he came to life. That long stabbing bill started to click and hiss at me. Those long yellow/green legs and hand size feet started to thrash in the air. How was I going to manage freeing this poor great blue heron without taking a beating myself? I decided to release a few branches from his neck then some from his body, staying away from the feet. I finally took the last branch off his neck and released the last of the twigs holding his body and jumped back anticipating Mister Great Blue Heron to spring up. To my surprise he didn't. It then occurred to me the heron couldn't right himself being he was on his back. I gently held the heron's plump body and rolled the heron over. Once upright the Great Blue stood to his full height which seemed to be about 4 feet and flapped his wings though he didn't move. I tried to shoo him away but to no avail, so I started walking through the woods towards the natural pond behind the house. The Great Blue finally started to follow me and stopped right next to me while I watched him. We continued down to the pond walking side by side as if we were the best of friends. Finally at the pond the Great Blue Heron flew to on old tree branch and I departed back to home. Though I have seen these majestic birds from a distance I never realized how big they are. I now know! The Great Blue Heron stood around 4 feet height and had a wingspan of a least 5 feet. The two tone yellow gray beak had to be 10 inches long if not longer. The heron has a very long neck when extended and large round yellow eyes. He had a very meaty plump belly too. It was a very exciting experience to be that close to such a big wild bird. It is an experience I won't soon forget. I only hope I still have some of my big fish swimming in my pond but that remains to be determined at a later date. Sometimes in trying to attract the pretty songbirds to our yards we indirectly attract other non favorable visitors such as Great Blue Heron, kingfishers and birds of prey. Unfortunately that is part of attracting wild birds to your backyard. Please visit my website at www.WildBirdSeedMart.com for many wild bird products to attract wild birds to your backyard.