Great Blue Heron

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#669999" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Great Blue Heron at Blackwater</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#993300" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Concord Point Lighthouse"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Piney Point Lighthouse"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 11 x 14 Pen Ink"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 11 x 14 Pen Ink"><U><B>Return to 11" x 14" pen and ink page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ducks.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ducks.org"><U><B><IMG SRC="41281590.gif" border=0 width="129" height="89" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <bR> <div> <B>The Great Blue Heron is only one of the many varieties of wildlife and waterfowl that live in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge which is located about 12 miles southwest of Cambridge, Maryland.  Bald Eagles, Snow Geese, Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, and many varieties of ducks, hawks and songbirds are common.  Some are migrating seasonal residents; others, such as the Great Blue Heron, are year round residents.  In addition to the waterfowl and other birds, fox squirrels, muskrats and nutria are among the many resident mammals found here.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In full flight the Great Blue Heron retracts the neck and is a very graceful and agile flyer.  It is only when flying low to the ground such as when taking off or preparing to land (as in this scene) that the neck is extended; although, at such times the bird may easily fly very long distances in this manner if it is hunting for food or avoiding intruders.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>