Tag Archives: Great Blue Heron

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The Point Arena Lighthouse has a feline Guest Relations Manager and Rodent Control Specialist named Arena Mina, according to Lighthouse Executive Director Mark Hancock. He wrote, “Arena Mina was lounging in her office doorway when a Great Blue Heron landed in the field outside and proceeded to start hunting gophers. ‘That’s actually one of my jobs, but there are enough to go around out there,’ Mina said.'

Mina continues, ‘In any event, after one failed attempt, the heron strolled away towards the Lighthouse and ultimately out beyond the fence-line to the bluff where it was finally successful. One less for me!’”

It's nice to know there is no competition between Arena Mina and that hard-working Great Blue Heron! Thanks to Mark for the cute story and for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

The Point Arena Lighthouse and surround grounds, plus the Point Arena-Stornetta Land abutting it, is one of my favorite places on the coast. Here is a link to learn more about our favorite lighthouse: http://pointarenalighthouse.com/

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Great Blue Herons are so graceful as they lift off coastal bluffs. Heather Haveman recently spotted one on The Sea Ranch.

Their wingspan can be as long as six feet six inches. When they fly, their legs dangle beneath them.

On land they are often seen hunting rodents.

Watch out, tasty rodent - a Great Blue Heron is looking for lunch!

Thanks to Heather for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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John Wall photographed a very nice scene indeed. A Great Blue Heron on the bluffs at The Sea Ranch was looking out to see as a Gray Whale spouted.

Today fog covers most of the Pacific Ocean, making whale-watching next to impossible. We have storms predicted for next week, which will clear out the fog. Before the fog, many Gray Whales were seen heading northward, and just a few heading southward. The first mother/calf pair was seen off southern California late this week. They have many miles to swim before we see them off the Mendonoma coast.

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his fun photo with you here.

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Kathy Bishop caught a Great Blue Heron with its mouth wide open. Who knew this is what a GBH's mouth looked like?!

Great Blue Herons are year round residents of the Mendonoma coast. They can be seen hunting rodents on grassy meadows, and standing in calm water, looking for a tasty fish.

Here's a fun photo of a GBH coming in for a landing, taken by Robert Scarola.

They are quite beautiful when they lift off, as you will see in this wonderful photo by Paul Brewer.

Thanks to Kathy, Robert and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

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Molly Scaramella noticed this Great Blue Heron watching the flooding Garcia River. Of all the birds here on the Mendonoma coast, the Great Blue Herons seem to be unfazed by the wild and wet weather.

Molly got a photo of perhaps the same Heron on a different day, perched in a tree.

Great Blue Herons have a rather squawking sound that you can hear at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/sounds

They wade into the water to fish, and they hunt for rodents, insects, and even birds on land. And they can hunt in the daytime and nighttime due to photoreceptors in their eyes. They are year round residents of the Mendonoma coast.

Thanks to Molly for allowing me to share her photos with you here.