These Are a Few of My Favorite Birds: Harlequin Ducks, Meadowlarks, and Great Blue Herons

Cedar Waxwing

Great Horned Owls

When camping with my nephew this summer he asked me what my favorite bird was.  Gee!  What a hard question for this bird loving soul!  Ultimately, I had to break it down into categories to puzzle out my answer.

Mountain Bluebird

The bird which I think can lay claim to my favorite song, liquid, burbling, magnificent music for my ear, would have to be the Western Meadowlarks.  Hands down.

Mallard and ducklings

Long-billed Curlew

The prettiest to look at though would have to be the Harlequin Ducks with their strikingly contrasted mohawk, perfectly circular white facial spot, and stunning mahogany colored flanks.

Harlequin Ducks

But, in the end, I gave the overall coolness award to the elegant and commanding Great Blue Heron.  They are beautiful on their tall, slender legs with their long, shaggy neck plumes catching the breeze.  In addition to looks, they are large and often conspicuous making them easy to watch--even with the naked eye.  They have offered me some of the most interesting bird behavior viewing I've seen.  We've spent hours watching them poised in utter stillness as they hunt and then, in a flash, spear a fish and toss it back in one fluid motion.  We watched them improbably bounce about the tops of evergreen trees, swaying with the boughs, building nests.

Baltimore Oriole

Brown-headed Cowbirds

So, I guess, what I learned is that, if pressed, I'd name the Great Blue Heron as my favorite bird.  Who knew?  Good question, Eli.  Even I am surprised by that one.

Mountain Chickadee

Cliff and Bank Swallows