A visit from a Great Blue Heron

A Great Blue Heron made a visit to the Smith Ranch today and I was fortunate to capture this beautiful bird from our studio window.  Here are some interesting facts about this bird.  It is the largest heron in North America.  In flight, it looks enormous, with a six-foot wingspan.  Thanks to specifically shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can quickly strike prey at a distance.  Despite their impressive size, they weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones--a feature all birds share. The oldest recorded Great Blue Heron was found in Texas when it was at least 24 years, 6 months old.

Pictured below is the Great Blue Heron that paid us a visit today.  It appears that he is looking directly at me while taking his picture.  Ain't he purty?

Kansas wildfire causes awesome sunset!

Talk about a unusual sun photo!  It's hard to believe that a wildfire that was in the southwest part of the state could effect how the sun would look around 200 miles away.  Here are two images taken around 7 o'clock last night at The Smith Ranch and included for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!