Egret and Heron Pictures

The difference between herons and egrets is blurred and some birds have been moved from one species to another over time. For purposes here, an egret will be white and a heron some other color.

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Egret Pictures

Where I live we have a small pond used for Koi and a larger pond which is often used by ducks and turtles with a few Koi. Now and again an egret comes to visit. Here are some pictures of the egret for your consideration…

Contemplating one of the Koi to see if it would be fair game.Standing still and allowing me to take a picture of it and its reflection.Comparing itself to a statue. The problem with this picture (aside from the shade) is that the egret refused to extend its neck while standing there so I never got the comparison shot I wanted.

Of course, it’s a bird so the egret has to fly. Here it is taking off.

And, here it is coming in for a landing. It was curious to me how the feet are curled and dragging in the water just before landing.

Mostly, however, egrets watch for prey be that just standing and watching…

…or stretching and watching.

Heron Pictures

For about 20 minutes one day in April 2011 we had a visit from a blue heron. I just happened to be out by our little lake when it visited so here are some shots from that day…

It stood in the water watching for food.

Then, moved to the rocks. I moved in just a bit closer and…

It took off for the other side of the lake. I managed to get three shots off and the one you see above is the best of the three. Made a large print of it and it’s hanging on the wall in my office now.

On April 17th 2014 I walked out by the lake and noticed a different bird sitting on one of the rocks in the lake. Got a few pictures before it flew off (it was skittish). Turned out to be a green heron.

It comes back now and again but never “performs” for me. I have noticed that when it flies there is a big area of wing folded into that smallish bird!

Advance now to June 24th 2014 and a young blue heron landed at the lake and started to fish for the minnows that grow there.

I was lucky enough to get a couple of sequences of the bird extending its neck, grabbing a minnow, and bringing it back in as part of a meal. Here is sequence one…

Having eaten that minnow, the bird continued to hunt and here is sequence two…

Finally, here is the bird with the minnow about two thirds of the way down the beak and heading for the gullet…

Amazing!