Green Heron Pics at Long Last

Finally!

In Recent years our attempts at getting photos of the smallest of North America’s herons resulted in fair to middling results at best. But this past summer that all changed.

Outings this year to the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area proved to be quite fruitful. As we became familiar with the various marshes and the interconnecting network of trails, we came across an ever-growing variety of wildlife found therein. And to our delight, none proved more accommodating at having their picture taken than the little Green Heron.

A Green Heron scans it's surrounding from on high.

While they do perch in trees like the specimen seen here craning its neck, the Green Heron is a stalker of stream and marsh edges, where it hunts small fish and frogs. And yet it is most difficult to spot them in such cover where they tend to be nearly invisible, blending in perfectly among cattails, phragmites and other wetland growth that affords them cover.

One can't help but envy his fishing skills.

At times crafty in its attempt to lure prey, the Green Heron has been known to take a small twig or feather in their sizeable bill and drop it gently on the surface, hoping the slight disturbance will attract a potential meal.  

 

A waning moon photobombs a Green Heron at dusk.

Until Next Time,

Jim & Claudia