kgg6194
The Great Blue Heron
This bird, presumed to be a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), was spotted at a gate on the perimeter of the Port of Wilmington on 19 January 2018. As the port is located on the Cape Fear River, it is no surprise to see a numerous amount of wildlife passing through. It was surprising to see this guy all the way on the outskirts where there are tons of cargo trucks, people and traffic as they are known to be more shy than some of their other avian cousins. Upon research, I found that the Great Blue Heron are able to adapt to many different environments and are found in numerous types of habitats. They can survive in both freshwater and saltwater habitats to include marshes and coastlines. As they hunt during the day, I would assume this bird was looking for potential prey. Though they frequent bodies of water and stalk aquatic animals, they also consume reptiles, invertebrates, insects, small mammals and other birds. If hunting wasn’t on his agenda, then perhaps he was looking for sticks to begin building a nest for their upcoming breeding season. These birds frequently nest in tall trees located near a body of water. The Port of Wilmington seems to be an area which these birds can flourish. They have plenty of resources from both land and water, the climate does not force them to migrate and they can seek shelter in the foliage and trees surrounding the port. One condition which may affect the survival of these birds in this area is the amount of pollutants in the river due to the ships that dock and sail on a regular basis. These ships also increase the waves and affect the river current. There are not many predators of the Great Blue Heron in this area. Their main concern would most likely be an alligator. Other animals such as crows and raccoons are known to steal their eggs. All of these conditions are potentially hazardous to the Great Blue Heron but this one seems to have adapted to his surroundings quite well.
References:
“Great Blue Heron.” The Cornell Lab of Ornithology , www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id.
“Great Blue Heron Information, Photos, and Facts.” American Expedition , americanexpedition.us/learn-about-wildlife/great-blue-heron-facts-info-and-pictures/.
The Great Blue Heron
This bird, presumed to be a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), was spotted at a gate on the perimeter of the Port of Wilmington on 19 January 2018. As the port is located on the Cape Fear River, it is no surprise to see a numerous amount of wildlife passing through. It was surprising to see this guy all the way on the outskirts where there are tons of cargo trucks, people and traffic as they are known to be more shy than some of their other avian cousins. Upon research, I found that the Great Blue Heron are able to adapt to many different environments and are found in numerous types of habitats. They can survive in both freshwater and saltwater habitats to include marshes and coastlines. As they hunt during the day, I would assume this bird was looking for potential prey. Though they frequent bodies of water and stalk aquatic animals, they also consume reptiles, invertebrates, insects, small mammals and other birds. If hunting wasn’t on his agenda, then perhaps he was looking for sticks to begin building a nest for their upcoming breeding season. These birds frequently nest in tall trees located near a body of water. The Port of Wilmington seems to be an area which these birds can flourish. They have plenty of resources from both land and water, the climate does not force them to migrate and they can seek shelter in the foliage and trees surrounding the port. One condition which may affect the survival of these birds in this area is the amount of pollutants in the river due to the ships that dock and sail on a regular basis. These ships also increase the waves and affect the river current. There are not many predators of the Great Blue Heron in this area. Their main concern would most likely be an alligator. Other animals such as crows and raccoons are known to steal their eggs. All of these conditions are potentially hazardous to the Great Blue Heron but this one seems to have adapted to his surroundings quite well.
References:
“Great Blue Heron.” The Cornell Lab of Ornithology , www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id.
“Great Blue Heron Information, Photos, and Facts.” American Expedition , americanexpedition.us/learn-about-wildlife/great-blue-heron-facts-info-and-pictures/.