254 Cameron, Nesting of Great Blue Heron. \ju\y 



The young herons presented a remarkable sight, as in their 

 eagerness to see the parents arrive they stretched their long necks 

 to the fullest extent and with bills pointing straight up in the air 

 looked from below like so many snakes. This extraordinary atti- 

 tude is shown at the left hand branch in the photograph of the tree 

 top (Plate V), but it was found impossible to obtain a near 

 view because at the slightest unfamiliar sound the young herons 

 crouched down as low as possible, maintaining complete silence. 

 This, no doubt, accounted for none being seen upon our arrival, 

 but it seemed strange that such large birds could hide so easily 

 and, subsequently, their ability thus to conceal themselves appeared 

 to me the most striking feature about them. That three or four 

 young herons could make themselves invisible from below in quar- 

 ters only large enough for one bird, as shown by the photographs, 

 was little short of incredible, nevertheless, they managed to do so. 

 On the first day of our arrival a thunderstorm cooled the air, but 

 next morning, the remarkable effect which the hungry young 

 herons produced was further increased by the rapid inflation and 

 contraction of their gullets as they panted in the hot sun. They 

 seemed to suffer as much as the young Golden Eagles (see Auk, 

 Vol. XXII, p. 162), and, from their situation, being exposed to all 

 vicissitudes of weather, it is certain that the parents shaded them 

 during intense heat. When unalarmed they kept up a continuous 

 soft croaking like frogs which, on the appearance of the parents, 

 was changed to a vociferous quacking like the ducks in a farm-yard. 



I was informed by Mrs. Murphy, who lived at a ranch near, that 

 this heronry was established here for the first time and that three 

 of the birds began to lay on April 23, when only three nests were 

 completed. As the period of incubation is about 28 days some 

 of the young herons were now five weeks old. We arrived at the 

 heronry at 2 p. M. and the old birds could not summon sufficient 

 courage to recommence feeding their young for four hours, during 

 the latter part of which time my wife and I remained quiet in the 

 tent. The herons flew from the river directly to the nests, but, too 

 cautious to alight immediately, circled round and round above the 

 trees uttering a harsh low croak recalling Canada Geese. Even 

 after the fears of the majority had been allayed, several herons 

 continued circling, passing frequently within gunshot of the tent, 



