Behold! The Great Blue Heron!

The two pictures above are stock photos of a Great Blue Heron. We actually have one that sometimes stops by the two ponds in Palmer Park, which is the little park about a block from our house. Well, here is the story. On Friday afternoon, about 4:30pm, Judy looked out the den window and pointed out the bird under the huge magnolia tree that is just across the street. We looked and looked, and decided that since it was so very big, it must be the owl that lives down at those same two ponds. I had seen him once standing on the curb by the ponds, and he was very big. But then the bird turned its head, and we realized the beak was not at all an owl's beak. Judy was sure it was the great blue heron. Sure enough, it was. I went outside and whistled and clapped my hands, and he rose up on his spindly legs, but did not fly away. So Judy went out on the front porch, and out to the curb on our side of the street to get some up close pictures. (Below is the best one.). Then, before Judy was ready, he flew off. It was an amazing sight. How or why he came up this far from the pond is beyond us. But it was so neat that he did. I would say that while he was perched, he probably stood about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall. His wingspan was massive. God has surely shown us some amazing things while living here in this house on Howard St. He continually amazes us!