Hunting Gray Heron

[ellarien]

Moments later, the heron took a couple of very slow, cautious steps, as if playing Grandmother's Footsteps, and then pounced out of view. When we saw him again, he had a beakful of wriggling fish, which he proceeded to gulp down.

Comments

Oooh shiny!

[redbird]

We get great blue herons (which I think are fairly close kin) around here, but I've never seen one that close. (Night herons, yes, usually immediately before they notice me and fly off, squawking.)

Re: Oooh shiny!

[ellarien]

This is the closest I've ever been to one myself -- we see them around on various ponds from time to time, and once one flew past, following the railway line, while I was washing dishes.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Great shot!

[ellarien]

Thanks! My mother said she thought that was the closest she's ever seen one, and that goes for me too.

This was at the top end of Whitely Woods or thereabouts -- on the home stretch of the Round Walk, anyway, along a path full of bikes and scooters and pushchairs.

If I'd been a bit quicker I might have caught it in the act of consumption, but I'm glad I saw it.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Wow, beautiful. I love herons and egrets so much. This is a wonderful photo.

[ellarien]

Thank you!

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

Our house in Virginia was on a tiny pond inhabited by herons, among other things. I was thinking they were blue herons, but they looked like your grey. We always saw one, but one day I saw three flying around. Other than that, there would be one, slowly and gracefully stalking around the pond. I'd see it hoist and swallow a wiggling fish, but never saw it stab for it. It was a nice thing to see while washing dishes.

[ellarien]

Nature-watching while washing dishes is always a plus!