It seems like I have been seeing Green Herons (Butorides virescens) everywhere recently. Of course, that is an exaggeration, but within the last month I have encountered Green Herons in three separate locations.
Out of the three locations, this is the most suburban—a little pond at a local garden, surrounded by grass on most sides. The other locations are in marshy, wooded areas.
I observed this Green Heron this past weekend and think it is a juvenile. Normally I have trouble identifying juvenile birds, but adult Green Herons have yellow legs, while juveniles have greenish legs.
I happened to have my 100mm macro lens on my camera, so I had to try to inch my way toward the heron to get this shot. I like the heron’s pose with its head tilted up. Ideally I would have liked to blur out the background more, but I don’t find the green grass to be too distracting.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
The slant of the stone adds tension to this shot, I think-as if he might slip off at any moment.
Thanks. I was thinking along those same lines. The shot would have been a little less interesting without the stone.
Really nice shot, Mike. I am amazed at how “tame” your Green Herons must be. I am rarely lucky enough to see the Green Heron before it sees me and flies away. Kudos to you!
You coaxed him on to a nice rock for that pose. Well done.
One of my favorite birds, Mike. Great shot, as usual.
Thanks, Sid. I’ve been having some good fortune recently in getting shots of these little guys.