Saturday and Sunday are the annual Redbud Audubon’s “Heron Days.” Pontoon boat rides staffed by Audubon volunteers are the highlight of the event. The guides point out various birds living on the lake. On Saturday the boats leave from Lakeside County Park whereas on Sunday they go out of Redbud Park in Clearlake.
The boat trips last about two hours and cost $25 per person. Call 263-8030 to make reservations or to get more information. You can also go to the Redbud Audubon’s website at http://www.heronfestival.org/
One of the highlights of Heron Days is getting an up-close view of the great blue heron. To many local residents the great blue heron is the official bird of Lake County and it’s even on many of the county’s logos.
Even though great blue herons are considered a migratory bird, they live at Clear Lake year-around. The birds are attracted to the lake because of its rich food supply. The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America. A full-grown adult weighs up to 8 pounds, has a wing span of more than 6 feet and stands as tall as 54 inches. They are widely dispersed and can be found in just about every state. When I was a boy in Minnesota we called them cranes although they are not a member of the crane family.
Herons are also a long-lived bird. The oldest recorded blue heron lived 23 years while most live between 12-15 years. It’s a very good flier and often can be seen flying across the lake with its slow wing beats and crooked neck.
Blue herons are excellent predators and feed on fish, crawfish, frogs, small animals and other small birds. Their main feeding times are at daylight and at dusk although they feed throughout the day. They stand still for long periods of time waiting for a fish to swim past and then, with a flash, spear or grab the fish with their long bill. Another method of feeding is to walk slowly through the shallow water with its head stretched out looking for fish, frogs and other prey. They also seek mice and other small rodents in fields. It’s not uncommon to see a great blue heron standing in a field above a ground squirrel or gopher hole. The heron will stand motionless for hours until the squirrel or gopher pops out its head and then nail him.
Baby birds such as young blackbirds are also prey for the great blue heron. They have even been known to fly to an osprey nest and devour the young chicks although normally they are driven off by the adult osprey. I observed this a few years ago at Lakeside County Park. A great blue heron flew up to an osprey nest in a big dead tree. The male osprey, who was guarding the nest from another tree, gave a loud shriek and attacked the heron. Feathers flew everywhere as the osprey struck the heron with its sharp claws. The disheveled heron flew off with a painful lesson learned.
There have been cases where a blue heron would choke to death after trying to swallow a large fish. It’s not uncommon to catch an adult bass with a fresh sore on its side or back that resembles a stab wound. The chances are good it was made by a great blue heron
Herons typically breed from March to May. Great blue herons don’t mate for life and often select a different mate each year. They nest in trees where the female lays between two and six pale blue eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs which hatch in 26-30 days. AThe young are ready to leave the nest after about two months. About 65 percent of the young don’t survive their first year.
A few years ago I was fishing with a friend and we spotted a great blue heron standing on a dock. My fishing partner took a long look at the bird and said, “That’s the ugliest bird I have ever seen. What good is it anyway?”
Actually, like all wildlife, the great blue heron is an important part of the ecosystem. As long as we have plenty of herons and other birds around the lake it means Lake County is healthy. It’s when they start to disappear that we should begin to worry.
