A great blue heron lifts off after foraging along Rooney Street in Santa Cruz near the onramp to northbound Highway 1. According to Cornells All About Birds website, “The Great Blue Heron is the largest North American heron, standing up to 4.5 feet tall with a 6-to-7-foot wingspan. Despite their massive size, they weigh only 5 to 6 pounds due to hollow bones. They are patient waders that strike fish, amphibians, and rodents with a dagger-like bill.”

The great blue heron stands stock-still as it stalks prey along Rooney Street. The Cambridge Dictionary states, "The term stock-still means completely motionless, originating in the late 15th century by combining stock (a tree trunk, stump, or wooden post) and still (motionless). Etymologically, it compares a person or thing to a rigid, unmoving piece of wood." (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)The great blue heron stands stock-still as it stalks prey along Rooney Street. The Cambridge Dictionary states, “The term stock-still means completely motionless, originating in the late 15th century by combining stock (a tree trunk, stump, or wooden post) and still (motionless). Etymologically, it compares a person or thing to a rigid, unmoving piece of wood.” (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)