Mind you, it’s pretty near impossible to tell one Great Blue Heron from another, but for the last week we have a what seems to be a youngish bird hanging around the yard.
I’ve startled the poor creature several times – and been startled in return – but the last few days I’ve tried to remember to walk slowly when I go out to feed the fish in the evening, and he (?) will flap away a few feet and stay a while. I try to position myself so the line of sight is blocked by a bush, and last night he hung around until I moved again, but even then he only flew down into the stream and “crouched”. He’ll never be anything close to “tame” but somehow he senses that we mean him no harm.
This morning, he was in the driveway and Eddie decided to stalk him. The idiot cat will not bother squirrels or birds, but he’ll practice his skills on a five-foot heron! I took this photo through the living room window, after New Blue decamped to the pond.
thisendoftheswamp 
Wow! This is really a big bird haha – makes me wonder if Big Bird of Sesame Street was an effigy of a Heron. So nice to see nature in your yard. I guess they feel safe to take refuge in your yard, home or driveway.
Considering the number – and variety – of the critters we have around here, I honestly DO think they feel safe – or at least safer – here than other places.
There you have it! You provided nature with a safe zone and far from the maddening crowd 🙂