I blogged previously on the green heron five years ago, after seeing two in Florida. My sightings were brief and my pictures not so great.
On a recent trip to Florida I had much better luck on the green heron front. I saw more of them and got better pictures.
The green heron is smaller than the other herons I am familiar with and tends to be stationary, sticking to one spot to look for fish or other prey, rather than walking around. In that sense, they are a little boring to watch because they do just sit there.
By far, the best sightings for green herons was the Viera Wetlands west of Merritt Island. I saw four or more of them. All perching on sticks or branches, close to the water, at least one in the open, and the others sheltered by weeds or branches.
I saw one green heron in the Orlando Wetlands Park
and one at the Circle B Bar Reserve.
There, I watched the heron with a man who related an incident of watching one for awhile. The heron stood stationary, and then a large dragonfly buzzed past and the heron quickly reached out with its elongated neck (which is not evident in any of these pictures) and grabbed it out of the air.
These are beautiful photos. I always think of herons as white, but these fellows are brilliantly colored--more than just green.
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