GREAT BLUE HERON

It seems to me that a man-made 'wetland' behind a city shopping mall in Michigan is a strange place to spot a Great Blue Heron, but after some online research I find that these great birds are found in quite a variety of places, both saltwater and fresh water locales from shorelines, rivers and lakes to marshes and even residential ponds that have fish. After feeling sorry for him because he was the only bird of its kind among geese and ducks, I was glad to read that these heron often travel solo except during migration. They are predominantly seen throughout Central and North America, and in the United States they are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Finding something new and different to blip every day has been an interesting challenge. I've about exhausted the usual flowers and insects around my home, so today I ventured to a pond behind the local mall where I've seen a few birds. Today's heron was by far the most interesting. He was very wary of me though, so I had to stalk him quite a distance under pine boughs and behind marsh grass to get this shot. I realize now it will be necessary to explore some new areas if I'm going to come up with subjects to post daily on Blip. It's well worth the effort - it's been a fun challenge so far! :-)