Mystery Solved: Ardea herodias

The mystery of what ate all my fish and frogs is now solved. It was a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). 48 hours ago I had a thriving ecosystem. Today I have a dead zone. Above: An easily spooked Great Blue Heron flees the scene.

BELOW: My fish a week ago.



BELOW: My fish today. Gone.



There were perhaps 100 large fish in this pond in Debary. Luckily I got some photos of the fish and frogs before they were all killed (see previous post). Now. . . like in Deltona. . we have to start over.

I'm reluctant to net the ponds again because it destroys the aesthetics of the pond area. So. . .we'll have to install more bricks and artificial caves in which the fish can hide.

Meanwhile we have the largest and most fierce attack cat in the area. And. . . well. . . he was in the gazebo watching the bird finish off the fish this morning.

BELOW: Dell-Roy Jackson, this morning, with claws out. I guess the claws are just for me.



BELOW: Another Great Blue Heron from my archives in Deltona. Fleeing the scene of a similar massacre, I imagine.



MORE ABOUT THIS SPECIES:

Head-to-tail the bird is about 5 feet long and stands about 6 feet tall. This is the largest North American heron. It was described by Carolus Linnaeus in his 18th century, Systema Naturae. Under United States Code Title 16, Chapter 7, Subchapter II, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell this species. So as much as I might like to shoot him. I will not. From experience I know that he will be back until every fish and frog are consumed.

Great blue herons fish in both the night and the day, with most of their activity occurring around dawn and dusk. Herons use their long legs to wade in shallow water and their sharp spearlike bills to catch their food. Great blue herons' diet consists largely of fish, but also includes frogs, salamanders, lizards, snakes, birds, small mammals, shrimps, crabs, crayfish , dragonflies, grasshoppers, and many other aquatic insects. Herons locate their food by sight and usually swallow it whole. Herons have been known to choke on prey that is too large.

The Great blue heron's assumed role in the ecosystem is to control fish and insect populations in many different habitats. They are also an important source of food for the animals that prey on them (ravens, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, etc.).