Three Herons (Two Called Egret)
By Alane K. Dashner of Lodi, CA
Long-leg flying, necks in S-es
Breeding time makes chic head-dresses
Heron? Egret? Try your guesses
“I’m Heron too,” Egret confesses
All Egrets must be Herons, see?
They’re in the Heron family Great Blue Heron’s truly grey, standing tall with black toupée Our Great Egret strikes a pose, white with black silk pantyhose
Poor Snowy Egret can’t compete – smaller, black bill, yellow feet
Herons all, and two are Egrets
Stabbing fish with no big re-grets
All year around in the Delta. Herons are tall, solitary hunters that eat only live prey in wetlands. They’re easy to spot when flying because though their legs are straight, their necks are pulled back toward their shoulders. Their mating season in April – May causes them to come together in rookeries as they build nests high above the ground. The eggs take several weeks to hatch, and then by midsummer the chicks are on their own.