Looney Island, pt. 2

Sitting on the shoreline, watching the herons at the rookery across the river you realize their dilemmas. The first to arrive at the island and claim a nest are the males. Great blue heron pair bonds only last for the breeding season, so the males must find new mates and the ones that claim the best nesting sites this year have a greater chance of attracting a female. But a male may have to wait for days before a female arrives and chooses him. If he leaves the choice nest to get food, another male may claim it. So he stoically stands in the rain and cold protecting his real estate--day after day after day.