Paul Talvensaari spotted this Great Blue Heron, strutting amongst the icy chunks of the shoreline. The largest heron in North America, claiming a wingspan of 72 inches (183 cm for all our metric visitors!) and standing anywhere from 39 - 52 inches (99 -132 cm) tall, no wonder the word "great" precedes it's name. This majestic creature is quite a sight to see when flying with it's neck tucked in, the tremendous wingspan and it's harsh, loud croak... frawnk. Makes you feel like you're back in prehistoric times, watching a dinosaur fly overhead. I bet this fellow wishes he'd have stayed in the warmer climes for a few more weeks before returning to the Copper Country!

May I be the first to say G'morning to all.

Ed. note: May we recommend Gliderrider's outstanding slideshow over in the Guest Gallery.

MAY I BE THE SECOND AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE KID IN FLINT!

May I be third?

Happy 4/20 everybody

nice picture but...there are no dinosaurs in the bible, so they did not exist.

The blue heron was almost hunted into extinction. The bird's plumes were all the rage for women's hats. This was the cause for John Audubon to form his society for birds.

Morning all. Looks like the makings of another "side page" day!!

You're right, Gliderider's slideshow is exquisite!

Deuteronomy, look it up

Went passed the heron rookery west of Houghton Lake several weeks ago and the birds were already on the nests. Amazing to see that many of the big herons all together like that. Even more fun to see them when the babies are big and about ready to leave the nests. Thanks for the great picture!

Good Morning from Indiana!! What a beautiful slideshow. I feel like I've been on a vacation. This is the first place I come to every morning. Thank-you Gliderider for sharing with us. Have a nice day everyone.

Great picture, catching the reflection and all.

Can the Sandhill cranes be far behind ?

I will second John in Wixom's remark on Gliderrider's slide show...very nice!

The sandhill cranes have been here for a few weeks now, before the herons got here. I haven't seen many herons yet.

Is spring here?

Please, let us not get into religion and the bible, we will never know for sure..

I love to see the herons and cranes in the marshes and ponds. They are very majestic and you can't help but stop and look at them when they are present. Beautiful photo! Thanks

You are welcome to visit Old Hickory lake down here in TN. The Blues are very plentiful. Great pix and enjoyed the slideshow.

Good Morning!
Nice photo. The slide show was great too. Now I'm all misty and homesick at my desk.

Have a nice day everybody!...:>)
One day a group of Darwinian scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one Darwinian to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.
The Darwinian walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."
God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the Darwinian was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the Darwinian happily agreed.
God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The Darwinian said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!!!!"

Yes, there is something reptilian about great blues. I was walking along the bank of the Anacostia River here a few years ago when I looked up to find a blue looking at me from the top of some pilings about 15 feet away. What struck me was its shape. From the tip of its beak to the start of its tail is one smooth, undulating line. There is a word for this: snakelike.

Has anyone heard anything about where the smelt are running these days? We've tried Coal Creek, but to no avail. The only thing we could get with our nets was an 8 inch sucker.

Neat slideshow from Gliderider, covered all seasons. Growing up in $Bay, we often went smelting around my birthday (end of April). Do they still run at the bridge near the "dumps"?

Wow! Gliderrider's slideshow is spectacular. Kinda makes me feel like if I don't get back to the UP soon, I might just keel over and die!

Very nice slideshow Gliderider, Well done!

bj,milford I have been wondering that also.It was a lot of fun. There was always a good crowd down there?

The slide show was great.It was good to see Sandy Bottom again.

Good morning all...just a note for "Gliderrider" Your slideshow is marvelous. About #85...it's called "dolls eyes" but the field guide to wildflowers says..."White Baneberry" is of the buttercup family. About 1-2' tall. The berries are very poisonous.

Slideshow was a great way to start my day! I love the U.P. and can't wait to see it again this summer!

I remember the Great Blue Heron and its haunting sounds. He's one tough bird to handle that cold water!!

If I recall my "Seney Wildlife Refuge Tour" correctly, the Blue Heron has hollow bones, the same as prehistoric birds. All other living bird species have solid bones. Assumably, this partially explains the Heron's erie call.

I have a tape I baught in the Soo, I think called Angels in the Mist, and it has in the back ground what appears to be that erie call of the Blue Heron. Its very nice to listen to.

The slideshow reminds all that live in the UP that summer will indeed come and reminds all the rest of us just what we're missing by not living there. Exquisite!

P.S. LOL at finnferrfunns joke!

Tom: Bald eagles have hollow bones, too. I've just finished a book on eagles with my 3rd grade reading students, and learned many new facts. I've become addicted to Northeast Utilities Eagles Online and have enjoyed watching the newly-hatched babies being fed by their mother this morning.

A few years ago I missed out on one of those photographs of a lifetime. There was a swan in Keweenaw Bay in L'anse just a few feet from a heron.

Scott, the smelt are definetley running out in Dreamland. We went last night.

Most birds have hollow bones. Penguins are an exception, but they can't fly and do a lot of swimming. If i rember right there are a couple of flighted exceptions, but they're diving birds (hollow bones are bad if you're trying to dive because they make you too light so you float too well).
Oz, i'm sure that was a joke, but just for general information, the term dinosaur wasn't coined until the 1800's (or 18th century--i have a little trouble with dates), long after the Bible was finished. So of course the term never appears.
Great picture, by the way--as usual.

Did you know the computer chips & effects are mentioned in the bible. Thus we now have ; the smart card -chips in the dogs etc.What's next?

The word Dinosaur doesn't appear, but references to it definately do appear in the Old Testament. God created all things, and so its not a big stretch to think there were dinosaurs way back, and were made extinct like lots of other animals that aren't mentioned by name in the Bible.

This bird is known around our place as the great blue bomber ! Do not look up with open mouth or you will have a fih meal too!

I tend more to the darwinist side, still was LOL after reading finnferrfun's extension of my knowledge - I sure never heard anyone claiming they could make their own dirt!
By the way, Darwin, as every human, was a product of his time, so he interpreted his findings according to his own background.
So, for example, "survival of the fittest" does not mean the biggest bully is the best individual of a species - that's just Darwins interpretaion.

Unfortunately, the gallery does not load! :(

A number of years ago while driving on M 59 between Mt. Clemens and Utica, I saw a heron flying parallel to the road just above the electric lines. What a sight!

One more for the road...:>)
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Evolutionist: It was the logical next step after coming down from the trees.
Evolutionist(2): The fittest chickens cross the road.
Evolutionist(3): Pure chance.
Creationist: God created the chicken on the other side of the road. There is no proof it ever was on this side.

Wow, that slideshow is tremendous. Nice work gliderider.

LOL, finnferrfun. Hope noone's gonna bite yer head of for making fun of - well, matters of belief. Beats tirades, or worse, by far.

The Creationist ask's, "What is the difference between a dog and a fox"? The Evolutionist answers, "About eight beers".

danbury...I have always felt that you have to be able to laugh to enjoy life, and part of that means being able to laugh at yourself. All in all, it makes life a lot more fun and a heck of a lot easier to take sometimes...:>)...how are things in Germany these days??

re: one for the road.
Just saw this in Valley of the Far Side, Larsen.

Late at night, wife chicken meets wayward chicken at the door.
"Oh, I see! You return covered with blond feathers, and I am supposed to believe you crossed the road just to get to the other side?"

What came first, the chicken or the road?

finnferrfunn---I've never heard a more perfect interpretation of life!! Unfortunately I haven't met anyone like that out here, makes me miss home...

Did you know these giant birds nest in TREES? I saw it myself in a park somewhere between Kent and Cleveland, Ohio.

Ever hear of the oooh-oooh bird? I heard it was extinct too!!

Was that a blond joke?

Only if you're a blond chicken..baaaakk!

Why did the blond chicken cross the road?

vaalea, I give why?

Check out the new watches available on Pasty Central's Gift
Page. Just in time for Mother's Day - May 9. Pasty Softwear

Great Picture today. I love the nature pictures and change my background accordingly.

After taking a closer look at todays picture, I'm wondering, does the blue heron have a "beard" like the tom turkey?

Nice slideshow, Gliderider! Do you know what kind of
mortaring was used in the old Mohawk stampmill?
Looks unique with the mortar raised above the level of
the stones. Perhaps the bricklayer's own style? Or
European/

This is to "old digs: don't know what kind of mortar was used, but I agree with you on the unique style. Will try to find out and give you an answer. How about anyone out there, do you have an idea of what style it is? Inquiring minds want to know.

I want to thank all of you who viewed my gallery today and thanks to you Charlie for including the link. Pasty Central Rules!!

Gliderrider ---- Good eye for detail. You capture the ordinary and make it a work of art. What great perception you have with a camera.
Thanks for sharing your work!

Down here in Arkansas, the answer to "Why did the chicken cross the road?" is "To show the armadillo it COULD be done."

Dave- I visited your gallery & it sure is beautiful pic, # 81 I sure liked. Hope to see you this summer when we make it home,maybe at the Michigan House if it is still open.

CONGRATULATIONS MARQUETTE....voted USA's "MOST LIVABLE COMMUNITY"......The delegation headed by Fr Louis Coppo accepted the award in Washington, DC today..........We certainly are proud of our YOOPER neighbors!! Go "UP"..:o)..Holy Wha!!...now the rest of the world will discover us.........

Poor Marquette..........when the Yuppies get bored they will head north.......and then H/H and points north of the "real bridge" will be in big doo doo........See ya on the 4th.......

Hey Steve the flying troll --- I like that! --- the "real bridge" in deed! I've always told people in the lower that they are NOT up north until they cross the bridge. They say "The Macinaw?" I reply, "No!, the Houghton/Hancock!"

Re finnferrfun: sorry, had to get some sleep.
As to your qst: Hot, and getting hotter - about 70+, meaning my place approaches 75. No fun!

Otherwise, in a way pretty similar to the US: Economy is up or down, depending on who's talking,
that left aside, Schumacher is winning, and most people think there should be no general permission for stores to be open on sunday nor 24h - mostly out of pity for the people working there!
A 24h-groceries is responsible for one of the more impressive moments when the mom of the family I was staying with said let's do groceries - 3am!
The east is failing (or not - see above), the EU expands, and people complain (actually, they do more than that - but pc will replace the proper expression with red dots) about taxes and how the world is going down - as they have done already in ancient times and most likely will do in future! Sounds bad? Well, some of these things sound funny to me! Better to laugh (and deal with it) than to, well, get nasty.
May I say I'd rather get pasty? Has pc ever considered intercontinental shipping? ;)