Great Egret, THrough A Tree
Category Archives: Wading Birds
Green Heron Hunting From Branch
You can’t help but be impressed by a Green Heron’s patience and flexibility.
Staring intently into the water, seconds ticking by in this postion.
Wham!
The exciting part is over in a flash, with just the water ripples as evidence.
And once again he had success!
Tricolored Heron Breakfast
It was another one of those mornings when the sun stubbornly stayed behind a bank of low clouds.
So the light wasn’t great but I was surrounded by wading birds. This Tricolored Heron was working on acquiring breakfast.
Stealthily and slowly he worked his way into the open water.
And was rewarded with a very small morsel.
Great Blue Herons Tucked in the Grass
It was a morning for Great Blue Herons to stay tucked into the grass, not quite hiding. In this first image the heron is standing in a tidal creek, the sun had just come up but was behind a low bank of clouds.
The second one I spotted was on the edge of a canal around one of the old rice fields.
A little later on the sun became brighter, highlighting the change in color in the grass around this pond from green to autumn browns and golds. Wading birds often gather on the edges of these hillocks of marsh grass, uncaring about the passing Alligators.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area
October 2, 2020
Yuck, I Almost Flew Into It
With spider webs all around lately I’ve wondered if birds can see or care about flying into them.
Some of the orb weavers spin strands that are stronger than I break walking into them. That’s a yuck for me. The Tricolored Heron didn’t seem to care.
Green Heron Silhouette
Sometimes the light just isn’t with you.
But you like the subject. A Green Heron on a gnarly branch worked for me.
I took the color out of the first two, but left the duckweed green in this last one.
Little Blue Heron, Standing Around
A Little Blue Heron was looking dapper beyond some swaying Spanish Moss.
The thick grass at the pond edge made a nice backdrop.
Green Heron, On The Hunt
I’ve often spotted a Green Heron in this patch of reeds; a walking path winds along the edge of a pond providing an interesting, if dark, view of their hunting behavior.
These herons don’t have any problem snagging a snack from this duckweed covered water.
I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what’s lurking around below the surface.
Here’s a wider view of this Green Heron’s hunting territory. Beyond these reeds the water opens up into a pond.
One With The Tree
A Roseate Spoonbill was looking out over a marsh from his perch in this gnarly tree.
As we passed he started a series of stretches.
All in preparation for liftoff, straight up and not quite was I was expecting.
Great Blue Heron
A Great Blue Heron was standing at the edge of a canal where the grasses are starting to show signs of fall, changing color and fallen over with their weight.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC
September 6, 2020
