Herons like to land on things sticking out of the water rather than jumping right in if possible.

Sticks, rocks, and yes I’ve seen them land on Alligators.

This time the landing pad turned out to be a log.

The nearby Alligator didn’t seem to pay much notice as the Little Blue strutted by.

However, as the Little Blue turned, the Alligator sunk down.

Certainly the Little Blue Heron is not a threat to the Alligator, but he may not know that.