Outlines for Scout Workers: The Great Blue Heron

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THE GREAT BLUE HERON

Outlines for Scout Workers

BY D. W. PARRATT, B. S.

XI —THE GREAT BLUE HERON Grotesque and tall, he stands erect, Where the reed-riffle swirls and gleams, Grave, melancholy, circumspect A hermit of the streams. Ernest McGaffey. 1. Why are herons so called? Why is ours called a blue heron? Why a great blue heron? 2. What are the distinguishing marks of a true heron? 3. Upon what does the great blue heron subsist? Explain how it is procure its food. fitted to In what ways does this bird make use of the "safety first" 4. principle? 5. At one time he served as a "weather prophet." In what way^ 6. Tell of his size, colors, and song. 7. Describe the great blue herons' mating dance.

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8. Where and of what are the nests usually made?
   9. Tell of the color, number, and size of eggs.
   10. Should this beautiful bird be protected? Give at least two reasons for your answer.

HANDY MATERIAL Of all clean birds ye shall eat. But these are they of which ye shall not eat; the eagle, and th? ossifrage,and the ospray. And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing and — the bat. -Deuteronomy, 14.

Many birds have been named in imitation of the sounds thev produce. The black crow squawks, "crow, crow ;" the wise owl says, "ow-1, ow-1 ;" the cheery bob-white calls, "bob-white, bob- ;" white ;" the little chickadee chirps, "chick-a-dee, chick-a-dee ?nd so on with many others. In all probability the herons se- cured their name in similar fashion, for the word, her-on, bears a striking likeness to the harsh cry uttered by these lanky birds. Of the herons found in the United States, the best known are the snowy, black-crowned night, green, an the blue. 1

There are two blue herons and both are named from their pre- dominating ashy-blue feathers. One inhabits the warm regions of the southern states and the other is found scattered quite gen- erally throughout our entire country and also in the warmer parts of Canada. The former measures from twenty-two to twenty-six inches in length while the latter is ordinarily about twice that long. To distinguish them apart, the southern bird is named the little blue while the other is called the great blue heron. In- deed, the great blue is not only the larger of these two, but the largest of all herons found in the United States. These and kindred birds have long, loose plumage, and among their ordinary feathers are patches of fine, downy feathers whose frayed tips break into a powder and disappear. The various groups are distinguished one from another by the number of these peculiar powder-down patches. There are three of such on the great blue and other real herons. The great blue heron, often but erroneously called the blue crane or sand-hill crane, is common to various parts- of Utah. He is usually seen standing perfectly still in shallow water await- ing the appearance of some fish or other object with which to appease his voracious appetite. His choicest morsel is small fish, but he is very fond of frogs, crayfish, field mice, little snakes, and various sorts of insects. His quick eye, his easy, graceful walk, and his long toes, legs, neck, and bill fit him perfectly for wading and fishing, and in consequence as a fisherman he ranks among the most skilful. Seldom, indeed, does a detected fish escape the quick thrust of his long bill. On coming from the

782 IMPROVEMENT ERA water the fish is invariably clutched crosswise in the bill, but with an interesting, dexterous twirl the heron throws his victim into the air and then catches and swallows it, head first, in a manner surpassing the feat of any alert juggler. When hunger is satisfied, the wary fisherman makes for the shore or bank and there usually rests in the shadow of some quiet reeds, bush, or tree. With neck retracted and head resting be- tween shoulders, he stands like a solitary statue in his chosen place of seclusion. His motionless position together with sober colors blending so admirably with those of his surroundings render him so difficult to detect that even the most practiced eye often misses him. In case of sudden disturbance by an unexpected gunner, the motionless bird immediately changes to one of intense action. With but little ceremony he disgorges his heavy meal, utters a harsh, squawking cry, and flaps into the air. Under such condi- tions a frightened heron has been known to disgorge as many as ten good-sized fishes. When we consider the weight of these in comparison with that of the heron's four or five pound body we readily see the advantage in thus unloading before attempting the hurried flight. With the heron, as with most other birds, "it is "safety first," meals and the like are an after consideration. The great blue heron's flight is graceful and stately. While in air, his head, neck, body, and legs are held in a straight line and his broad wings, with easy flaps, give a speed that "seems the effect of magic." In olden days, people quite generally held to the notion that ifthe heron's flight was noticeably up-stream stormy weather was sure to follow, but if he traveled in the opposite direction the weather was bound to be fair. Even today many country folk of our eastern and southern states cling to this tradition notwith- standing the fact that observing men have long since demon- strated that the ordinary food-getting flights of these birds have nothing whatever to do with the functions of our weather bureau. This picturesque heron stands three feet high and his slender legs appear hardly sufficient to support his seemingly bulky body. But as already suggested, his body is in reality very light, though covered with a loose coat of somewhat lengthy feathers which give it the appearance of having considerable weight. The feathers covering his back and wings are of a beautiful bluish-gray color, while those of his under parts are white with blackish markings. The shoulder feathers are somber black with streaks of cheery white, and those covering his sinewy thighs as well as edging his broad wings are of a pleasing cinnamon brown. Those of the neck are buffy blue and of the head almost pure white. Through this white, two interesting- streaks of black pass from bill backward, one along each side of the head, and meet in

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a long, slender, decorative plume pointing gracefully towards the bird's back. As with most other birds, the male heron is somewhat larger than the female and during the mating season his markings are more pronounced and his coloring more beautiful than are those of the "gentler sex." During this season, the males seem very proud of their charming attire and resort to various schemes to show off before the lady birds. A common practice they have isto induce the females to join in flight to some secluded spot where all form a ring ready for a peculiar "folk dance." Each male bird, in his turn, enters the circle and does his level best to please the lady spectators. He side steps, skips, flaps his wings, :tirves his neck, and executes all sorts of fancy maneuvers "while the lady birds express their approval by deep croaks, something like a bull-frog's, and the envious cocks keep up a running fire of remarks in the rasping tones of a horse-fiddle." Only one performer dances at a time. When through with his comical antics, he retires to the ring and is followed by the next. This is kept up until every male has "displayed his accomplishments and good looks before the lady birds," after which, of course, the delighted females are in much better position to select their de- sired mates. It is needless to say the fellows making the "great- est hit" become the "ladies' men" and find match-making with coveted females a comparatively easy matter. The great, flat, bulky nests made of sticks and lined with reeds and grasses are ordinarily built in high trees along streams or back in isolated swamps. The tree nests are in the highest branches and often number as many as ten or twelve to the tree. However, in treeless localities such as Bird Island, the heron adapts himself to circumstances and builds its nest upon the ground in the sparse shade afforded by sagebrush, greasewood, or the like. From three to five beautiful greenish-blue eggs make a sitting. The heron's fondness for fish and his marked ability as a fisherman have prevented protective legislation for him, but re- cent study is tending to the conclusion that the good he does as a field mouser at least offsets the little harm, if any, he does to our fish industry. His solitary presence and familiar ker-awk add to the charms of our desert streams and lakes. He is a bird of the poet and the historian and his welcome appearance seems to put one in sympathetic touch with remote places and great men of past ages. So let us do what we can to protect him for the enjoyment of future generations.