Great Blue Herons!

Suddenly there are Great Blue Herons at Hutchins Park. These almost prehistoric looking birds are both beautiful and ugly, graceful and clumsy, all at the same time! Here's what the Chesapeake Bay Journal has to say about our Great Blue Herons:

The dignified image is emblazoned on magazines, television, clothing and even license plates. Surpassed only by the blue crab as a symbol of Chesapeake Bay, the great blue heron is the largest and most widely distributed of American herons and probably the most familiar of wading birds.

In recent years, great blue herons have had to face new threats. The deterioration of water quality and loss of habitat threatens herons and other water birds. Areas of shallow water habitat are destroyed during land development, resulting in the loss of fish and other prey.

Toxic chemicals that enter the Bay from runoff and industrial discharges threaten all Bay inhabitants.

Presently, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to relatively stable populations of great blue herons, but we cannot become complacent in our efforts to protect them. The preservation of shallow water habitat, feeding areas and rookeries must remain a priority if we want to enjoy this majestic symbol of the Chesapeake Bay.