As the summer temperatures have soared, I have been seeing fewer birds and therefore I was surprised when a Green Heron (Butorides virescens) flew in and perched on a log in the middle of a small pond where I was photographing dragonflies.
I saw his arrival from a distance and at first thought it was a duck, but as I crept closer, it became clear that it was a Green Heron. Most of the times when I have observed Green Herons, they have been intently focused on catching prey. This heron, however, seemed to be content to check out the area and apparently didn’t like what he saw, because he did not stay very long.
I really like the contemplative look of the heron in both of the images here. Something must have caught its attention in the second shot that caused the heron to extend its neck and look upward—Green Herons almost always look down toward the water. I like the way that the heron has cocked its head.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
These are excellent Mike. I’ve got to be more quiet when these birds are around apparently, because they fly off before I can even turn the camera on.
There is so much luck involved in this shot. I happened to be there when the bird flew in and it landed in a spot where I had a clear view. Most often, I stumble on a bird and notice its presence when it starts to fly.
Is it heron mating season? He could have been searching for another heron. Our great blue herons have been doing the mating call several mornings of the week.
I’m not sure if it’s mating seasons for the green herons, but that’s a pretty plausible reason for its behavior. Unfortunately it looks like the heron was looking for love in all the wrong places.
Really well done. So how hot has been getting? This may be a silly question but where do they go when it’s hot?
Thanks, Lyle. It’s been as warm as 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celcius) here and really humid. I don’t know exactly where the birds go, but suspect that, unlike crazy photographers, they seek the shade in the heat of the day.
I love to eat chicken legs and that was exactly what the stick or is it a log reminded me of when I saw the pix. It’s amazing how we see the same thing in different ways.
Fantastic! Th second one is such a cool perspective!
Thanks. I was going to lead with that one, but the first one was just a bit sharper. I love trying to get shots of birds and other creatures in different poses (and my favorite is when I can capture interactions with others).
I too love getting those special interactive moments
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Hi I have nominated you for 2 awards in 1, congratulations! http://aristonorganic.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/2-awards-in-1-combined/
Thanks so much for thinking of me, Brigid. At the moment, I am not fully comfortable in meeting the requirements for these kinds of awards, but it means a lot to me that you would nominate me.
No worries Mike, take it as a compliment for your work 🙂 my pleasure * Brigid
What a treat to see them out in the open like this. The ones I see (before they fly) are always hiding behind vegetation.
[…] Green Heron on a log […]