Do Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) laugh? I was intently watching this heron recently at my local marsh when he suddenly opened his mouth. It wasn’t really a yawn, and he certainly didn’t seem bored. It was more like something had struck him as funny—it might have been me.
For some reason, the words of a really old Bee Gee song came into my head, the one that begins with the words, “I started a joke.” I went searching on You Tube for the song and came across an old video of the very young Bee Gees singing the song on the Tom Jones show in 1969. If you are of my generation, you may enjoy a trip back to the 1960’s or it may be a new discovery for some younger readers—just click on this link.
As with many songs, I don’t quite understand the somewhat enigmatic lyrics—maybe you can discover their true meaning (lyrics from azlyrics.com):
“I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,
but I didn’t see that the joke was on me, oh no.
I started to cry, which started the whole world laughing,
oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me.
I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes,
and I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I’d said.
Til I finally died, which started the whole world living,
oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I wonder if he swallowed a fish that was too big.
You reminded me of the song by the band Cream called “Badge,” which everyone thought held a deep, mystical meaning. Years later the band admitted that the words were just gibberish, chosen only because they rhymed. I still meet people who swear that they’ve decoded the meaning to the song.
I wonder if the Bee Gees chose the words in the same way. I also wonder why I don’t remember the Tom Jones show.
According to Wikipedia, the show was officially called “This is Tom Jones” and ran from 1969 to 1971. It featured the singer known for such songs as “It’s No Unusual” and “She’s a Lady.” As I recall, there were quite a number of musical variety shows on television during the late 60’s and early 70’s.
I never much cared for that song, or the Bee Gees but this is a great picture.
He does appear to be laughing.
Great shot, I was suprised awhile back to learn the Bee Gees had a career before Saturday Night Fever. My first rememberance of a variety show of sorts was Laugh-In or the Smothers Brothers Show.
Ah, I too remember well the Smothers Brothers and Laugh-In, shows that somehow fit in with the vibe of that period of history (and of my life).
Barry Gibb would be proud of your post, Mike. And, yes, I can well imagine that he’s smiling. Maybe his mate made a joke earlier in the day and he just got it…
It seems like we are dating ourselves, Gary, by remembering that song. What makes a heron laugh? Sounds like a doctoral dissertation subject to me…
What makes a heron laugh? How about a bitter(n) (r)egret?
Nice…
He does look happy but there’s something very prehistoric looking about him to me too. Maybe it’s just me but your photo made me think of dinosaurs and suddenly birds descending from dinosaurs made sense.
I totally agree with you about the prehistoric look of the Great Blue Heron (and also the snapping turtles that I see pretty regularly).