Before the weather got nasty today, I stopped by at the hydro lines near Heber Down in Whitby, but it was quiet on the birding front (when will I learn) and some heavy rain forced me back to the car. After it cleared up, I swung by a local marsh north of Pickering to search for my Nemesis bird, aka Green Heron. As luck would have it thank you, God one flew into a tree on the far side of the marsh just as I was packing it in, so I quietly dashed to the car for my tripod when it flew in even closer!
He spent a minute checking me out as I was about to explode with joy, and then decided to move in even closer, staying in this dead tree for a while:
From here he dropped down onto some dead branches right over the water, moving closer to me all the while as I struggled to maintain my composure:
He was still on the move, though, and flew back into a tree. This isn't the best photo but it cracks me up as he "reaches for the sky":
Preening away in another tree:
Here's my favourite photo of this very small heron, measuring only 18" in length from the tip of his bill to the tip of his tail. His upper parts are a beautiful green mixed in with blue-grey, and the back and sides of his neck are a chestnut brown, it's no wonder that they totally disappear in their habitat as they're so well-camouflaged:
Soooo.... mission accomplished!
2 comments:
Words cannot describe how beautiful and very lucky you were today. Those are amazing shos and the colours are perfect. Congrats
thanks so much, Ann, it was truly an unexpected treat!
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