When the Lord God created the world, He designed it with oceans, mountains, deserts, forests and everything else that made it a wonderful and beautiful globe. Then in each region He placed birds, animals and other creatures suited to that area’s vegetation and weather conditions. His wisdom becomes evident as we observe how each creature fits into the area where He has placed it.
One example is the great blue heron - a bird that is part of a variety known as waders. It makes its home in marshes, lakes, streams and other watery places. The great blue is the world’s largest heron, standing four feet tall and having a six-foot wingspread. It is a splendid sight to see one standing motionless in the shallow water of a pond with its long, spindly, red legs holding it like a statue.
Its name comes from the generally bluish-black feathers on its back and wings, but it is hard to make a general description because its coloring does not set a definite pattern. Each one is beautiful. As examples, one is bluish-black over its back, but has reddish wings and red patches elsewhere. Another has the top of its head a deep blue with back and wing feathers a somewhat lighter shade, a rusty-red throat and neck, and a pinkish breast and lower body parts.
But the color varieties make great blues more interesting and do not affect traits common to them all. All have long, spindly legs, long, narrow, flexible necks and strong, sharp-pointed beaks used to catch food. Their food includes fish, insects, frogs, mice or other tiny animals. They are very patient when hunting, standing statue-still in water with yellow eyes alert for any motion. Then when a fish or other small creature approaches, they thrust their strong beaks down, quick as a flash, and rarely fail to catch it.
It is a delight to see this bird fly across the sky. When first taking to the air, its long neck is stretched straight forward, but as it rises high above the ground its neck is gradually drawn back to a graceful, double curve. With its long legs straight behind it, it makes a wonderful picture.
Herons live in large colonies high in trees alongside a marsh or stream. One tree may hold a dozen roughly built nests, so loosely woven that their eggs can be seen from below. Both parents care for the little ones for over two months before they mature enough to fly away to make it on their own.
ML-01/24/1999