I normally see Little Blue Herons when they are in non-breeding plumage. This is a typical photo of the species in my files.
Photo taken July 15th, 2023
More after the page break.
I headed back down to Grenada lake to see if I could repeat the sighting of the Limpkin from August 16th. Here is an aerial view of the site showing my position and each bird location.
Grenada Lake, near Bryant boat ramp. Birds within 200 feet of me.
To my right, I heard the croaks of Egrets and Herons. Suddenly, a Little Blue emerged from under the low limbs of nearby trees. It hunted as it moved forward.
46 second video
The Heron stopped on the shore and began hunting. I had not seen the hunting technique it used before. I suspect it was sweeping it’s head back and forth to focus on the prey. The tip of it’s beak was also used in this movement (possibly as a lure?).
left on one
right on two
left on three
right on four
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left on five
center on six
Now you should see it in action. Here is a video of the motion.
53 second video
It moved on a few yards further and got into shallow water. This is what I am familiar seeing with this species when hunting. The motion was a bit faster than other birds I have seen, but flushing and catching fish is unlike the long frozen posture of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets.
50 second video
Getting it’s fill, the Heron moved to a tiny sand bar to preen. It was there a long time. I was able to get several minutes of video, but edited to reduce time. I wanted to show the special moments (under the wings, breast plumage fluffing and a solid head scrubbing.)
You can see the lighter colors of feathers under the wing and near the breast. The head was buffed by the leading edge of the wing. It was a very thorough preening.
48 second video
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My Bug of the Day is abundant and very active this time of year. Foremost, it is a carnivore and as the Fall draws near, the species becomes more aggressive. These are social creatures with larger colonies to protect and feed. Behold, the mighty but tiny, Northern Paper Wasp.
Polistes fuscatus approximately 1 1 /2 inch long and packs a powerful punch when agitated.
Rain or shine, work or play, I’ll be here to enjoy today’s bucket with you (not sure when). Consider this an Open Thread and bring your own delights to share.