This cache is part of a series of caches on the Great Florida Birding Trail for my Girl Scout Gold Award project. The purpose is to teach people about the birds native to the area so they can learn more about the birds and how to protect them and their environment.
The cache is located at the Blue Heron Water Reclamation Facility and Wetland Area, located at 4800 Deep Marsh Rd., Titusville, 32780, open Mondays-Fridays, 7 am to 3:30 pm. You can only go on weekends by making an appointment. It is recommended to drive your vehicle around the wetland instead of walking, but remember to check in and out of the visitor center.
Great Blue Heron
Characteristics
- Heron with long legs, a sinuous neck, and thick, dagger-like bill
- Curls its neck into a tight “S” shape, its wings are broad and rounded
- Blue-gray with a wide black stripe over the eye
-
Behvior
- Wade slowly or stand statue-like, stalking prey in shallow water or open fields
- Stab with their strong bills to capture fish
- Also forages on shore, from floating objects, and in grassland
Conservation Status
- Colonies may be disrupted by human disturbance, especially early in season
- Still common and widespread, numbers probably stable
Habitat
- Marshes, swamps, shores, tideflats. Very adaptable
- Forages in any kind of calm fresh waters or slow-moving rivers, also in shallow coastal bays
Interesting Facts
- The largest heron in North America
- Thrives around all kinds of waters from subtropical mangrove swamps to desert rivers to the coastline of southern Alaska