Yes! They both have a color in their name!
And, they were the first bird and the last bird that I saw at Antonelli Pond the other day.
Let me set the stage for the Green Heron sighting. Katherine and I and Sam and Sasha were at Antonelli Pond. The dogs were off-leash. Katherine walked down to a small beach. The dogs casually followed. I decided to check out the next small beach.
I followed the path and was about to walk toward the water when I saw a Green Heron walk quickly to the right. Some bushes obscured my view, but I didn’t think it had gone too far. I quickly walked back to Katherine, who was just coming up from the other beach.
“I saw a Green Heron it might still be there can you keep Sam and Sasha with you here’s Sasha’s leash?”
“Huh?!”
I took a breath and tried again.
“I saw a Green Heron on the beach and it might still be there but it wouldn’t if Sam and Sasha followed me so can you keep them on leash and away from the beach?”
I was excited about seeing the Green Heron up close.
Katherine took the leashes and the dogs and I hurried back down the path. When I got to the top of the beach area, I slowed down, placing each foot carefully. I’d read that it is helpful, when trying to sneak up on birds, to step irregularly, that is, step-pause-step-longer pause-step.
The Green Heron was still there!
The Heron might have noticed me…
Yeah, he had.
However, I could go home now, happy with the knowledge that I likely had some pretty good pictures.
As we left the pond, I saw a White-tailed Kite hovering above a field, looking for breakfast. Katherine had seen a pair of Kites perched in the pine we were now passing. She had thought one had been eating. Apparently, it had not been this one.
And as an added bonus, I glanced down toward the pond right before we left. Who did I see?
A Green Heron on the shore! We had seen two that morning, so I don’t know if it was the same one I’d been photographing earlier.
Oh, and this was ironic, I guess. Sasha walked down toward the beach and nosed around a bit without, apparently, alarming the Heron. For her part, I don’t think Sasha ever noticed the Heron standing near so still.
All in all, another awesome day at Antonelli Pond.