It’s the season for love, and for many birds that comes with bright colors and/or long flowing plumes. This great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is no exception, and he actually has both bright colors and long plumes. He also is a good provider. He was fishing in this reedy, marshy area in Payne’s Prairie State Park and during the five to ten minutes that I watched him, he caught quite a few fish. Handsome and a good provider, too! Sounds like an ideal mate to me.