Great Blue Heron

I observed my first of the season Great Blue Heron early this evening. It was standing in the cold, icy waters of the river near the shore. I had been thinking it was early for a heron sighting but upon returning home and checking my photo archives, I find that my first sighting of a Great Blue Heron last year was on April 2nd. To the upper left is tonights sighting; the photo below is of my first heron sighting last year.