A Great Blue Heron at the moment it lifts off.

One of the most photographed birds on the Mendonoma Coast, Great Blue Herons are beautiful to see. Laura Cover photographed one taking off from the bell tower of St. Paul's Methodist Church in Point Arena, a study in elegance.

Great Blue Heron by Laura CoverAnother fun photo of a GBH taking off was taken by Robert Scarola.

Great Blue Heron Lift off by Robert ScarolaAnd one last photo of a Great Blue Heron taking flight, this one by Craig Tooley.

Great Blue Heron by Craig Tooley high resGreat Blue Herons are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.

In all of these photos, it looks foggy. There is no fog on the coast today. It's warm with very little wind. Abalone divers were out this morning with the minus tide, and every pullout had vehicles. Hope everyone had a safe, successful dive.

Thanks to Laura, Robert, and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com