“I have spent many seasons observing several great blue heron nests at this beaver pond in Amherst, New Hampshire. I look forward to these prehistoric-looking birds’ return yearly and watch as their young hatch, grow, and fledge,” said wildlife photographer Jackie Robidoux. “One morning, I watched this youngster hopping from snag to snag, exercising its wings. It would get airborne just enough to land on the next branch. It took several tries, but finally, its perseverance paid off; it leaped from a snag and was in the sky! I think it surprised the eastern kingbird that was perched next to it, as evidenced by the display of the kingbird’s red crown.”