Hooray for Herons

Living in the woods, we see wildlife daily…but this Spring has been particularly active! It's not unusual to see a bevy of birds, ducks, hawks, turkey, and deer in any given hour.

One of our favorite type of bird to frequent the pond is the heron. Tricolored, golden, blue, or green…these long-legged birds are always a fun sight to see! Thankfully Mikey had his camera handy for these beauties...

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A Great Blue Heron perched high in a tree. I just love his long, feathery chest plumes!

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Look at the intensity in this green heron's eyes as he checks out his dinner options in the pond.

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The reflection in the pond is just as cute as the green heron is!

Speaking of herons…Mikey snapped a funny blue heron a couple years ago.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1

Beautiful Blue Heron on the Hunt

We see a lone blue heron by the pond only a few times a year, so these rare visitors stir up a lot of chaos...errr...excitement in our house!

Here’s the scene:

Downstairs - Michael is in his office/studio frantically setting up his camera. Lens caps are flying everywhere as he switches out his lens. He gingerly approaches his window and gets into shooting position.

Upstairs - I’m trying to contain three very curious dogs and keep them from barking out the windows.

Guess who has the more difficult task?!

The blue heron is a funny character. He stands very still and statuesque for several minutes…

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Just landed!

Until he spots a snack in the pond. Then, his lanky legs stealthily tip-toe to the shore…

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Sneaking up on dinner!

He stretches out his long neck and uses his bill as a spear to pluck the fish out of the water. Then, he flies away to the next watering hole!

Once I heard Michael roar a robust "argh!" I knew something must've spooked this blue heron away. So, the bird didn't get his fish. Michael didn't get his shot. But, I could finally let the dogs go back to defending their turf! 

Whew! That was a crazy, intense 4-1/2 minutes!