This is Bird Note.

When Jerome Gaugh got the chance to volunteer at the aquarium of the Pacific,

he was stoked. He had loved sharks and marine life since he was a kid.

But for his interview, he had to give a presentation on a creature he wasn't so familiar with.

They asked me to prepare information on the Great Blue Heron, but I didn't know a lot

about birds at the time, so he read up on the bird.

And I learned that Great Blue Herons are the largest North American Heron.

And being somebody also of larger physical stature, I could kind of relate to that right away.

Jerome kept practicing his presentation as he drove around L.A.

They're found in fresh and saltwater environments. They stand very still. They're very good at hunting.

They'll eat anything. They're very observant. They just can stand very still for a long time.

And he ace the interview.

On my first day at the aquarium for volunteering, I walked up toward the staff entrance,

and I heard the sound, and I looked up in a Great Blue Heron and flew overhead.

It was pretty thrilling. Jerome volunteered at the aquarium for six years,

and his appreciation for birds kept growing.

It's possible to see birds wherever you go. If you want to see sharks,

you might have to be a little bit lucky. But with birds, they're pretty much everywhere.

Jerome is a fantastic bird photographer, and you can see his photo of a Great Blue Heron

on our website, birdnote.org. I'm Mark Graham-Hell.