Great Neck!

The great blue heron stands about four feet tall, give or take a little.  This one, at the local marina, appears to be not yet fully mature, as he seems to be missing the white on his crown.  At any rate, he was standing tall and proud on the dock, pretty much master of all he surveyed.

A couple of moments later, he had retracted his long, powerful neck into an "s" shape, and looked like a totally different bird. 

I assure you that this is the same bird in both photographs - just in different poses.

This second pose is the heron's hunter pose, and the neck is ready for springing action.  

Herons hunt and eat fish, snakes, frogs, small birds, and insects.  They also hunt rodents such as gophers and rats in fields.  They are premier hunters, combining indomitable patience with precision striking ability.