A great blue heron takes off from along the Fox River in Kane County, Illinois earlier this Spring. Although great blue herons are a common sight, the really are a beautiful and colorful bird. It’s hard to appreciate their coloring in their tucked-in flying position as they gently soar like a pterodactyl across the sky, but the blue-gray feathering of the wings along with the rusty color on the top of their wings and their legs is quite stunning.