This Green Hero seemed un-phased that he was being watched. Usually they are quick to fly when humans approach, but this one not only stayed for this photo session, when I looked from the other side of the pond twenty minutes later he was still there.
Looking at the duck weed stuck to his legs I expect he recently had been feeding along the pond edge.
Then it was all about tidying up, preening each feather.
A cloud went over the sun just as the heron turned towards me, completely changing the light.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, SC
August 20, 2023
One of my favorite birds!
Those feathers are quite beautiful in the right light, and the “sass” they often have going on is hard to resist.