The stranded sculpin left after a high tide are so numerous that there is more than enough food for all the birds that show up at Big Beef Creek. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, there is an awful lot of intimidation that goes on. Usually it’s eagles that harass the herons to drop a fish, but it’s not unusual to see a Great Blue Heron chase other herons away from the area where it is fishing.
However, I’ve never seen an incident quite like this one. Two herons had staked out a fishing spot when a third heron flew in and quickly drove off one of the two.
The other heron was having none of it, though, and stood its ground as the other one tried to intimidate it.
It was hard to be sure, but it actually looked like the dispute came to blows
and not merely a show of strength to intimidate a rival.
The jumping and flapping of wings went on for several moments before they separated.
In the end, though, the “battle” ended like all the other battles I’ve seen here, with both combatants alive and well, though egos may well have suffered unseen damage.