On warm, late spring and summer evenings at dusk, I often hear the croaking of the herons flying off to some distant nest.

We live close to water that holds trout, so it isn't upsetting to see them fly off, for they are very proficient fish predators. When they take off in their long swooping ascent, they look like something out of Jurassic Park.

It doesn't take much to get herons to fly, either; they are among the most wary of birds. Come anywhere near one, and it takes off in a slow rise, its course croaks warning every creature in the vicinity that there is an intruder.

This is why Great Blue Heron decoys are used by some waterfowlers, figuring if other birds see the heron peaceful it will indicate that all is well.

Though their hearing is good, Great Blue Herons rely on their eyesight to produce food, which can include minnows, frogs, shellfish, small snakes and even larger fish like trout.

Here on the Outdoors Page, we ran a Wildlife Gallery photo months ago of a Great Blue Heron with a good-sized bullhead in its mouth. What they can't swallow whole, they peck with their long sharp bills.

These herons make easily identifiable nests of sticks and branches. There the female lays three to six pale blue eggs. After hatching, the young herons feed on regurgitated food from their parents.

Because they stand about 4 feet tall, it may be hard to believe these birds are actually lightweight creatures, weighing, on average, 4 to 8 pounds, much less than the bulkier Bald Eagle. I remember as a student in Dr. Phillip Walker's field biology class at Plattsburgh State him showing me the full skeleton of a Great Blue Heron that was given to him. There was practically nothing to it.

It was Dr. Walker who believed most of the Great Blues we saw in the Adirondacks came from rookeries on Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. That may have been true in the late 1970s, but in the past 10 years I've seen nests throughout the Adirondacks.

The herons' love for fish has given them a bad reputation with anglers. They are even known to hang around hatcheries and state fish stocking trucks, looking for an easy meal.

I've seen underwater video showing how these birds hunt. They take one cautious step after another; oftentimes they freeze for long periods of time, so their boney legs become part of the marshy environment. Then, in a flash, they snap downward when a fish comes into range to catch it.

Locally, these herons are called cranes by some disgruntled anglers.

Whatever you call them, the Great Blue Herons are impressive birds, the largest heron in North America, and they are a native species.

Though they look prehistoric, with their wariness and attention to detail in fishing, they will undoubtedly be around for many more centuries.