Great Blue Heron: "Unlike most birds, the herons’ neck vertebrae are of uneven lengths; the sixth vertebra is longer than the rest and articulates differently, allowing displacement of the bird’s gullet around the vertebrae to swallow large prey. This adaptation also allows the herons to retract their heads in the characteristic “S” shape commonly seen in flight, and to “coil” their necks for greater thrust when striking at prey." Have a great day.
There are Herons on our local lakes. All of them are small beer in comparison to what we see from your locality, yet all seem to have this interesting walking gait as the offside leg bends to 45 degrees, moving to facilitate smooth movement. Splendid capture.
of the water
Ian