HERONS 257 



streaked black and white. Flight direct, with slow, regular flapping of the broad wings ; 

 neck crooked in flight (not held out straight, as with cranes and geese) ; legs held out 

 behind, extending beyond end of tail in line with body. Forages singly or in pairs. 

 Voice: A deep guttural squawk, not often uttered. 



Occurrence. — Eesident in the western lowlands; may occur almost anywhere else in 

 the region during the summer season; most frequently noted along Merced Eiver, 

 between Snelling and Yosemite Valley and along Tuolumne Eiver near Lagrange; has 

 been observed at Merced Lake, Glen Aulin, and Tuolumne Meadows. Found chiefly 

 along streams or about lake borders, but sometimes also in fields and meadows. 



In the mountainous parts of the Yosemite region the Great Blue Heron 

 is only an irregular visitant, but at lower altitudes, in appropriate parts 

 of the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent foothills, it is a fairly common 

 resident. Along the river in the Merced Caiion between Merced Falls and 

 the Yosemite Valley one or more individual birds may usually be seen, at 

 close range, from the windows of the passing train. Single birds are 

 occasionally observed in Yosemite Valley and, more rarely, about bodies 

 of water in the higher country to the eastward. 



The Great Blue Heron is a marsh and stream-side bird; its whole 

 bodily make-up is adapted to gaining a livelihood in these situations and 

 in a special manner associated with the conditions therein. Its long legs 

 easily allow it to wade in water of considerable depth, and its long sharp 

 bill and long neck enable it to capture fishes and other aquatic animals 

 from a vantage point some distance above the surface. The species is also, 

 however, an efficient catcher of terrestrial rodents. Not infrequently a 

 bird may be seen standing motionless in an alfalfa field on the watch for 

 pocket gophers. Although known locally by the name of "Blue Crane," 

 this bird is a true heron, with habits not at all like those of the real cranes. 



Although accustomed to civilization to the extent that it will frequently 

 allow railroad trains to pass close by without being disturbed from its perch 

 on rock or snag, the Great Blue Heron has not learned to avoid overhead 

 wires ; from time to time a bird is found dead or injured under telegraph 

 lines against which it has flown. In the plains country where the birds 

 are able to see long distances they lay their courses from place to place 

 at once in a direct line ; but in the high mountains the surrounding canon 

 walls force them to adopt another procedure. When they rise from the 

 shore of a mountain lake they begin to circle upward and continue spiral- 

 ing until they reach a height which will give an uninterrupted view of the 

 surrounding elevated country ; then they make off in a straight line in the 

 desired direction. The deliberate flapping of the broad wings gives the 

 observer the impression that the Great Blue Heron is a very slow flier. 

 And it is, at times; individual birds have been seen by us to keep barely 

 ahead of the train traveling about 20 miles per hour along the Merced. 



