Great Blue Herons on the south beach in November. Although most have been found at the freshwater ponds, many have been seen standing on the beach at the base of dunes or near the ocean. Ten of those seen alive were later found dead, likely of exhaustion and subsequent starvation. The Great Blue Heron breeds throughout southern Canada (including Nova Scotia) and the USA. It is a highly adaptable species, able to winter farther north than most herons, however northern populations east of the Rockies generally head south to the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America.