[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed in the foothills near Arroyo Grande, California, USA. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.0 Nikkor EDAF lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: September 1997)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed hunting in the Lily Pads at Eco Pond in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: March 1982)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed at a nest on a channel marker at South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 180 f2.8 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2001)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed at a nest on a channel marker at South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 180 f2.8 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2001)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

These three (look carefully!) downy young Great Blue Herons were photographed at a nest on a channel marker at South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 180 f2.8 lens on Kodak Elitechrome 200 film. (Date: April 2001)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed at Lake Balmorhea, Balmorhea, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: November 19, 2008)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron in flight was photographed at Lake Balmorhea, Balmorhea, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens + Nikkor TC20E II 2.0x Teleconverter (EFL=900mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: November 19, 2008)

[Length 46 in. Wingspan 72 in.]

This Great Blue Heron was photographed at the Convention Center Boardwalk, South Padre Island, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: January 11, 2012)