eesept18

Contributed by
Lois Ports for
Bristlecone
Audubon
ON THE HUMBOLDT RIVER
Driving over the Humboldt River via
the 12th Street bridge you can see
the effects of our hot summer. The
Humboldt is slowly drying up in some
stretches. All that is left in many areas
are pools of water not much bigger
than a kids wading pool. What few
fish and frogs that are left are trying to
survive in these areas. Enter the wading
birds. They too are trying to survive in
this heat and are drawn to the pools in
search of prey. These bird have pointed
bills and strike with lightning speed.
Great Blue Herons are our largest and
heaviest wading bird. They can be up
to 54” in length with a wingspan of
72”. They weigh only a little over six
pounds. Adult birds are a grayish blue
overall with a long yellow to orange bill
and have a black crown and black eye
stripe. In flight it curls its long neck into
a tight ‘s’ shape. Its wings are broad
and rounded with its legs stretched
out way beyond the tail. They will eat
nearly anything within striking distance
including fish, amphibians, reptiles,
small mammals, insects and other birds.
The Great Egret is the largest of the
white egrets. They can be up to 39” in
length with a wingspan of 51” and they
weigh almost 2 pounds. All feathers on
Great Egrets are white. Their bills are
yellowish-orange, and the legs and feet
are black. Great Egrets wade in shallow
water to hunt fish, frogs, and other small
aquatic animals. They typically stand
still and watch for unsuspecting prey
to pass by. Then, with startling speed,
the egrets strike with a jab of their long
neck and bill. In flight it too curls its
neck back and has its legs stretched
out beyond the tail. During breeding
season a patch of skin on its face turns
bright green, and long plumes grow
from its back. These plumes were
prized as adornments for ladies hats
in the late nineteenth century. Because
of this they were hunted nearly to
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