In August I went to a beautiful Wedding at a Farm.

During the reception I was sitting with my cousins at our table and looked up and saw a beautiful bird.

Since I was at a wedding I initially thought of cranes, since they are considered symbols of fortune and long life at weddings.

However, I knew that this was not a crane. There are two American species of cranes. The Whooping Crane and the Sandhill Crane.

The range of the Whooping Crane is far to the east, and although Sandhill Cranes are resident in California they are mainly seen in the Central Valley.

Another reason that this is not a Sandhill Crane is that it is roosting in a tree. The back toe of the crane is too short to grip the branches in a tree. You will find cranes on the ground.

So what is this beautiful bird that was perched in the tree?

This is a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).

The Great Blue Heron lives year-round in California and is a common sight, especially near wetlands and shorelines.

I was happy that I was able to get these pictures before the heron flew away.

I was lucky to get a picture of the heron in flight. I almost missed it, and was just able to snap a picture before it disappeared behind the tree that was closer to me.

The wingspan of the Great Blue Heron is 5-6 feet and it looked majestic as it flew away.

Even though it was not a lucky wedding crane, it was nice to see this beautiful heron at the wedding.

Steven