SLIDE SHOWS: Click on title to open…
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- Two neighboring active great blue heron nests with nestlings. Photo by Ron Logan.
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- Through the trees, several nests with nestlings can be seen. Photo by Rick Lawrence.
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- Four nestlings await the return of their parent(s). Photo by Bonnie Moger.
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- The adult (wings outstretched) has returned to the nest. Photo by Bonnie Moger.
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- This adult is still incubating eggs. It stands to preen and roll its eggs approximately once every 2 hours. Photo by Bob Brooks.
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- This heron colony is active, but from a distance, all you see are nests that look like blobs of sticks.
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- Even at a closer look, it is difficult to see the incubating adults. Each of these nests has a great blue heron in it. Can you see their orange beaks?
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- The top nest contains an incubating adult. Their is an adult standing up in the lower nest, but you can only see its body – its head and neck are obscured by the other trees.
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- Heron colonies may be most frequented by people during the winter months when skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling take us to these somewhat remote wetlands. Photo by Bridie McGreavy.
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- The herons may be gone but the colony is by no means quiet. All kinds of animal tracks crisscross the snow covered ice, including coyote, fisher, gray fox, shrew, and flying squirrel. Photo by Bridie McGreavy.
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- Herons build their nests in live or dead trees, and up to 30 meters above ground. Photo by Bridie McGreavy.
Danielle DAuria
maineheron.wordpress.com 
I was hiking in a marshy area in Ohio (Cowan’s Lake) and I found a heron’s skull and the rest of its skeleton today. I’m wondering how it might have died. I did keep the skull and I am going to use it for my art students for still life drawings, so its memory will be kept alive. I am wondering if it was a Great Blue Heron. The skull measures about 9 inches long and it had shiny dark grey, almost black, feathers. Can anyone confirm the type of heron?
Sounds like a great blue heron. I have a skull here in my office that is from a young heron (pre-fledging), and measures 7.5 inches long. An adult’s skull would typically be closer to 8.5 or 9 inches long. The primary feathers of a great blue heron are dark gray as you described. I don’t know how it died, but the possibilities include disease, lead poisoning, or starvation due to an injury.
Saw a blue heron in a marsh by 302 and 85 in Raymond (please see pictures of the blue heron in the marsh in Raymond). We also saw 5 blue heron off a point on Cousins Island, not to far from the bridge. We share one late at night in Falmouth Foreside near the wharf.
Thanks for your observation and photos, Jim!
Danielle:
Thanks for reminding me about what I wrote. It is all too wonderful! Like a dream. Currently, I’m seeing snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse and whitetail deer. What a blessing! I’m not seeing great blue herons fly over and that is a concern to me. I’ll have to investigate when I get the time. God lives in all our wonderful creature friends and for it, I’m truely blessed.
Jim Thomas
Thanks for the pictures and the info. Both are wonderful. It all helps me understand the natural history of these areas better. That gives me great joy.