The tide was almost out and this Green Heron was looking for a snack in the shallow water along the edge of the river.
I missed the catch but captured the meal being swung about.
Then, instead of eating the fish right away the heron took it for a walk.
He kept right on walking into some reeds at the edge of the river, out of my sight.
They were close enough to be in the same frame, but I did not get both the Alligator and Green Heron in focus.
The Green Heron was going about his business, picking small snacks from between the water plants and the Alligator paid no attention.
A Green Heron struck up a standard heron pose on a limb hanging out over the pond.
Like a good model he showed off his other side.
Then I waited for him to do something else, maybe drop to the water to catch his dinner.
I guess he wasn’t hungry: these two steps were about the extent of it.
I saw a few Green Herons fly into a tree just off the canal where I was walking and I guess they saw me, too.
It was early and there wasn’t much light, but the classic Green Heron head crest was clearly outlined.
A lot of vegetation at the edge of the ponds is thick and tall as we go into the height of summer, obscuring a good view of the smaller herons as they forage.
I was able to peak through some tall grasses at this Green Heron after he hopped up onto a dead branch hanging over the water.
I moved a little further along the path and the Heron took up a different position on the branch, and the water in the background took on a different hue.
Before the Green Heron from my post On The Hunt found a hunting spot he posed on a limb from a falen tree sticking out of the pond. There was a light breeze and the water was creating a
Green Herons tend to be shy and I expected him to take off any moment.
From that stubby perch he surprised me and flew to a spot a bit closer to shore where he showed off his goofy head feathers and long beak.
A slow and methodical hunt was in progress.
A Green Heron was wading in water up to his chest, bent over in the stalking position, stretching out his neck.
Bam!
The snack he captured was so tiny, I wonder if it was worth all that time and effort.
The Green Heron from Saturday’s post fished awhile then took off for more private quarters.
He wasn’t going very fast and he rounded the tree that up until a month ago was full of juvenile Great Egrets.
Green Herons are generally shy, and as expected he landed in a spot that was partly shielded from my view, which he had all to himself.
We’ve had a tremendous amount of rain over the last month and the ponds are all full making wading for the short birds a little harder. A few trees have fallen into the water giving the Green Herons some nice hunting perches.
This Heron was trying to figure out to get down closer to the water, strutting along with great deliberation.
His strut gave me some nice views and when he actually got down to the water there were too many branches to get a shot.
Slowly, slowly a Green Heron inched along a log and finally moved into a small patch of sun for a well lit photograph.
Herons are known for their patient hunting and this one had the routine down.
With less patience than the Green Heron I put my camera down when he stood up a bit thinking he had given up on whatever he was stalking. I should have stuck with it another 20 seconds.
Bam, a large frog became lunch but was not to be photographed as heron with frog disappeared into the dark underbrush.
