Two neighboring active great blue heron nests with nestlings. Photo by Ron Logan

Monitoring Maine’s Great Blue Herons

Three Years and Counting…

Juvenile great blue heron with mouth agape – check out that tongue! Photo by Carrie Pierce.

Great egret in breeding plumage – notice the green lores. Photo by Dave Small, Photos By Chance.

Great blue heron colony in late May. Nestlings are present, but are still too small to see and are tucked low in the nests.

Photo by Deb Dutton.

Great blue heron nest (in 2009) taken over by great horned owls in 2010. Photo by Ellen Campbell.

Great blue heron eggshell found beneath a nest. Photo by Fred Rea.

Two great blue heron nests; the lower nest contains three nestlings. Photo by Jerry Smith.

Great blue herons building a nest in a white pine. Photo by John Briggs.

Remains of a great blue heron found beneath a nest. Photo by Karen McNutt.

Adult great blue heron in flight. Photo by Will Grimes and Mathias Deming.

A great blue heron colony with approximately 40 nests. Photo by Leigh Macmillen-Hayes.

Funny landing by great blue herons. Photo by Will Grimes and Mathias Deming.

Great blue heron at dusk. Photo by Linwood Riggs.

Great blue heron perched above its colony in a red pine and spruce stand. Photo by Mike Johnson.

Great blue heron landing on the shore. Photo by Rich Bard, MDIFW.

Great blue heron nestlings beginning to “branch” out. Photo by Rick Lawrence.

Young great blue heron with a tree swallow overhead. Photo by Ron Logan.

Adult great blue heron. Photo by Eva Goulette.

Adult great blue heron regurgitating food for its nestlings. Photo by Eva Goulette.

Great blue heron colony in the late nestling stage. Photo by Eva Goulette.

Looking up at great blue heron nests in an upland white pine stand. Photo by Danielle D’Auria, MDIFW.

Students from Sebasticook Valley Middle School measuring the diameter at breast height of a great blue heron nest tree.

Photo by Danielle D’Auria, MDIFW.

MDIFW biologist, Charlie Todd stands near a fallen great blue heron nest (pile of sticks on the left).

Photo by Danielle D’Auria, MDIFW.

Dead juvenile great blue heron hung up in a tree branch beneath a nest. Photo by Kelsey Sullivan, MDIFW.

Fledgling snowy egret. Photo by Danielle D’Auria, MDIFW.

Thank you for watching!

For more information about the Heron Observation Network of Maine, please contact:

Danielle D’Auria, Wildlife BiologistMaine Dept. Inland Fisheries & Wildlife650 State St., Bangor, ME 04401Phone: (207) 941-4478Email: danielle.dauria@maine.gov