The Great Blue Herons 



young ground squirrels. According to Mr. John G. Tyler, of Fresno, 

 this species is known in the San Joaquin Valley as the Gopher Crane, 

 and is there accorded a fairly tolerant protection by the farmers because 

 of its distinguished services. He declares it to be one of the best gopher- 

 destroyers in existence, and says: 1 "It is no uncommon sight to see a 

 heron standing motionless for hours at a time in an alfalfa field waiting 

 for a gopher to make its appearance. Small fish, frogs, and probably 

 lizards, if they are obtainable, are eaten, and on many occasions herons 

 have been observed in pairs on the dry barren hillsides along the San 

 Joaquin River busily engaged in catching grasshoppers." 



We dwellers by the southern sea oftenest descry this bird as a lone 

 watcher far out in the kelp-beds, and we are moved to call him the Kelp 

 Heron. The same tactics of tireless patience and lightning speed evi- 

 dently avail here to secure for him an abundant harvest of smelts and 

 shrimps, for the bird will stand by the hour on a sinking raft of kelp- 

 fronds, though it leave him submerged to the belly. His sea-legs are, 

 therefore, considering their great length, rather the best on earth, for 

 their owner has to maintain his balance in the face of unceasing motion, 

 and so nicely, that suspicious little fishes shall not be put to flight by a 

 single false motion. Small marvel, then, that we should have seen a 

 Heron, just off-shore near Santa Barbara, riding a piece of driftwood 

 not over seven feet in length, and so light that the weight of the bird 

 kept it nearly submerged. The tide was going out, so that we did not 

 have the satisfaction of seeing the majestic wader encounter the very 

 breakers, but there was a current which bore the living statue along 

 briskly in a line parallel with the shore, and in the trough of some very 

 considerable swells. We watched his progress for perhaps a hundred 

 yards and saw scarcely a sign of effort, only ease and mastery. No doubt 

 the Kelp Heron could give a creditable slack-wire performance. I have 

 seen one — on Lake Erie it was — stand on one edge of a fish-net and, 

 reaching down to the water some two feet below, select an underweight 

 whitefish. 



In contrast with this dexterity of balance is the difficulty which 

 the bird experiences in effecting a landing. They can fly all right, as 

 some aviators can, but the trouble comes in lighting. It is amusing on 

 a windy day to see these long-legged creatures trying to establish connec- 

 tions with a coveted perch, such as the rail of a deserted wharf. Facing 

 the wind, some of the birds will fly past their mark until they feel their 

 dangling feet engage the timber, and then allow the wind to right them; 

 while others will thrust the feet well forward and critically observe the 



1 Pacific Coast Avifauna, No. 9, p. 21. 



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