In this beautifully illustrated book, Robert W. Butler shares his experiences following great blue heron colonies for a full year and sheds light on many of the mysteries surrounding this magnificent bird. Drawing on more than a decade of research, this book is the most comprehensive examination of the heron's ecology and natural history to date.<BR>This book also carries a warning. In recent years, the heron has had to face new challenges as rapid urbanization in BC's lower Fraser Valley threatens its habitat. This has immense significance, not only for the herons and other animal and marine life that live or migrate through the Fraser River delta and the Strait of Georgia, but for humans as well. Butler argues persuasively that stewardship of the heron and conservation of its environment would go a long way toward ensuring the conservation of much of our own quality of life.