Sunday, March 25, 2012

Great Blue Herons at the Riparian preserve

This Great Blue Heron is enjoying its meal; Riparian preserve, Gilbert, AZ; 12/26/2011.
Wherever there is water and fish to be found, you can be sure to find a Great Blue Heron. Likewise I saw a few at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, AZ, last December.

He is looking pretty satisfied after gulping down its midday meal.
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3 comments:

  1. RaveMarch 27, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    I just found your blog while searching for a particular sounding bird. Could you help?

    I just moved to Rockford 18 months ago, and last Spring I heard this bird...and now I hear it again.

    I am not sure what it is...but it sounds like it says... 'Yoooo Hoooo'

    A friend said it was a chickadee...but it doesn't sound like any chickadee I've ever seen (and my parents have chickadee's in their yard in OKLA and they don't sound like that, either).

    Any guesses?

    Thanks

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  2. jonMarch 27, 2012 at 7:31 PM

    It's hard to interpret a bird song by spelling, but the Black-capped Chickadees that are very common around here have two distinct sounds: "chicka-dee-dee-dee" and a two note whistle that starts with a high note and followed by a lower note. I suppose those two notes could be deciphered as a "yoo hoo." Good luck with your ID.

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  3. RaveMarch 29, 2012 at 2:51 PM

    Thanks, and yes, it does seem to be the black-capped chickadee.
    http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/black-capped_chickadee/id
    has a 'sound' button. And that is what the (former) mystery bird sounded like!

    ReplyDelete