In One Ear: Harried heron

“A juvenile great blue heron visited the aquarium yesterday,” the Seaside Aquarium posted on Facebook on Friday. “He was pretty unhappy with his stay, as you can tell, but the Wildlife Center of the North Coast sent a volunteer immediately, and he was on his way. Good luck little buddy!”

“ ... A heron will scout out a quiet place to seek it(s) prey,” the post explained, “and use its impeccable eyesight to scan the nooks and crannies of a tide pool for any movement. When a potential snack is spotted, the heron will freeze ... The unmoving heron will wait patiently, often for many minutes at a stretch, until its prey drops its guard and moves into range of its sharp beak.

“Herons are not terribly picky, and will eat a variety of intertidal fish ... They may also consume frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, rodents and even small birds. Great blue herons can be seen along the Oregon Coast year-round.”

And in Astoria, too. There’s been a nesting pair in a large pine tree on the north hillside for several years. (Photo: Seaside Aquarium)