Saturday, August 31, 2019

Green Herons at SpruceHaven

     Each spring at SpruceHaven we are fortunate to have a pair of Green Herons (Butorides virescens) take up residence on the pond in front of the house, and intermittently they have bred.
    This year, within a relatively short time after arriving they started to construct a nest. It was located about two metres above the ground in a bush over the water, and as is typical for this species was quite small, not especially robust, and constructed of thin twigs. I was able to observe it for a while, and could often see a bird sitting on the nest, but as the vegetation filled in it became more and more difficult to see through the dense leaves which provided perfect concealment for the incubating birds. Without knowing the nest was there it would have been nigh on impossible for anyone to find it.
     I had hoped that after the incubation period, and waiting for another few days since the young are born semialtricial, I would be able to view nestlings craning their heads above the nest, waiting for parents to return with food, and exploring the world around them; but that never happened and I concluded that for whatever reason the breeding attempt had failed.
     Recent observations appear to have disproved this theory!
     Early this week I had the distinct pleasure of a visit to SpruceHaven by Eric Crofton and Ted Gough from London, ON, and Eric managed some fine shots of a juvenile Green Heron. 



     The extensive carpet of lily pads provides a great highway across the pond for adventuresome young herons.



        If you stretch your neck, maybe you can look twice as big and perhaps even fearsome.



     Then on 29 August our good friend and bird banding helper Merri-Lee saw an adult and two young birds and managed some great images of her own. The adult is on its favourite perch where we often see it snatching prey from the water.




     One of the young birds seems to have adopted this perch as his/her own. 



     It is a good news story that the Green Herons have had a successful breeding season after all. We will hope for a repeat performance next year.
     Thanks to Eric and Merri-Lee for allowing me to use their fine photographs.
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

46 comments:

  1. Lovely photos - I had not heard of a green heron

    ReplyDelete
  2. Firstly, I must compliment you on the beautiful cockatoos in your header. I have been meaning to do so for several posts.
    And I loved seeing the Green Herons and learning that they have had a successful breeding season. Here's to hoping the trend continues, and that the youngsters survive and thrive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The photograph was taken just outside Sydney, Sue.

      Delete
  3. Hi David

    Great - superb photos!

    Have a great sunday

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi David.

    Great that it was successful with the Green Heron.
    Never heard and seen.
    They are very pretty.

    Great photos.

    Greeting from Patricia.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful parrots in your blog header and it is amazing how the Great Heron can stand afloat on the leaves on the water.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the Herons, their stance is beautiful. Great photography David.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Green Herons are very special, David. Glad for their successful breeding.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi David - what a delightful story of success - beautiful photos ... haven't they got stunning plumage ... and as kids they look like they've 'walked through a hedge backwards' ... love their straggly looks - and let's hope they'll be back next year - cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hilary, when you examine the state of my couture after a day of birding, you could be forgiven for remarking that I too had been dragged through that hedge backwards!

      Delete
  9. Buenos días amigo David y feliz domingo. Excelente y bellas imagen de la Garza verde, me pregunto si ese estanque tendrá suficientes peces para poder abastecerse los padres y sus congéneres. El estanque precioso, salpicado por esa bella alfombra de Nenúfares una muy bonita estampa, debe ser una maravilla cuando esté cubierto por sus flores. El polluelo con el cuello estirado parece no tener amigos. ¡¡Muy bello reportaje!!
    Te deseo un buen día y gracias por mostrarnos esa belleza, como siempre un fuerte abrazo amigo, compadre y buen profesor David.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hola amigo Juan: There are many small fish in the pond as well as frogs and large aquatic insects. The birds seem to do well there.

      Delete
  10. A beautiful environment. Beautiful photos as a report.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hari OM
    What a delight!!! The young of any critter warms the heart-cockles &*> YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vilken solskenshistoria, alltid roligt att bli positivt överraskad. Bladen hos näckrosorna är ett perfekt underlag att ta sig fram på. Här i Norden har vi bara den grå hägern och jag skulle bli väldigt glad om jag någon gång lyckas få den på bild. Jag tycker de är märkliga fåglar, inte vackra precis men utstrålar något säreget med den märkligt formade kroppen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our Great Blue Heron is a sister species to your Grey Heron, Gunilla. They do have a touch of the prehistoric about them. Like Donald Trump actually.

      Delete
  13. Yay, I am glad for the success of the Green Heron nest. Wonderful series of photos. Happy birding! Have a great day and new week!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello David, Green Herons what a bird. Good to read they did so well. Love the photo with the long stretched neck. It looks like a Bittern this way. The photos are great and a compliment to your friends Eric and Merri-Lee.
    Regards,
    Roos

    ReplyDelete
  15. How fun to see the young birds! I don't know if I've ever seen a Green Heron but I think it would be all the more exciting to see the juveniles. So glad the breeding season was successful. Kudos to the photographers, too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm delighted to hear of this good news, David, but sorry that you weren't there to witness it yourself. If I had to nominate a heron species to head my wish list, I think it would be Green Heron - it's the short neck and wonderful colour that does it for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Richard:
      I was present when Eric took his pictures, but not when ML took hers, but I see these birds almost every day.

      Delete
  17. Great photos. Herons are one of my favorite birds.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Those pictures are indeed lovely. Green Herons are among my favorites of that family. We even have a print of one in a characteristic pose hanging in our bedroom!

    ReplyDelete
  19. It's always so satisfying to watch birds successfully raising the next generation of young. It also surprises me how quickly we assume ownership of them and refer to them as "our herons".

    ReplyDelete
  20. A nice series of photos of the young Green Herons. It is a beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Green Herons are wonderful birds.
    Amazing photos.
    Maria

    ReplyDelete
  22. What wonderful news and bird spotting. I love the colourings of their feathers so beautifully shown in the August 29 images.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Simply wonderful to see these great photographs :)

    All the best Jan

    PS Happy September wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Started seeing a few about 2 weeks ago...was so thrilled to find them. These are some excellent shots David.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hermosa especie de garza, me gustan los colores rojizos de su plumaje, muy parecida a Butorides striatus que veo en mi zona pero con coloración diferente, más azulada.
    Saludos desde el sur del mundo

    ReplyDelete
  26. Green herons are wonderful birds... and I’m so happy they’re doing well. I hadn’t ever seen one here in Oregon until this very summer ... (have seen many in Florida). I was so happy!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I never heard about green herons....
    wonderful shots....

    # Thank you for sharing the useful post

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi David,
    Some wonderful images from your friends of these young Green Herons, a bird I have never or likely to see.
    Its always so good to watch a nest and see the birds develop to fledging.
    All the best,
    John

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just get on a plane, John, and you can have one of Miriam's blueberry muffins while watching Green Herons. I promise! Okay....two muffins.

      Delete
  29. How lovely, sometimes it's good to be proved wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Excellent captures of the heron! Thanks so much for joining us this week at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Nice photos of beautiful birds. I like them. Greetings Caroline

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm sort of not surprised the herons succeeded. With that camouflage plumage and most species' inherent ability to stay quiet and unobserved during the breeding season, it was always on the cards they would win out. I've experienced that myself David - just when you think everything has gone awry, out they pop.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Creo que en España no se ven garzas verdes y me encantaría verlas por aquí. Se ven preciosas. Un abrazo David.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Halo David,
    I've obviously never seen a Green Heron in the wild! Now I can see this bird well. The photos are pretty amazing!
    A great bird! The young bird is very funny!
    I enjoyed this Post!
    I also hope that these Herons will breed successfully again next year!
    Fingers crossed!
    Regards, Maria

    ReplyDelete
  35. Dear David,
    lovely report on this beautiful green herons. I can imagine it was a pleasure to see that the nesting had been succesfull.
    Wonderfull pictures.

    Best regards, Corrie

    ReplyDelete
  36. Good morning dear David,
    Wow, what a fantastic birds this are! Wonderful that the nesting was so succesfull. In wintertime I have Heron's near my pond. Trying to get some of the fish. Always a great thing to see.
    Have a wonderful day
    Marijke

    ReplyDelete
  37. David - it warms my heart to read this good-news story, and to see such fine pictures of these gorgeous birds! I especially like the "neck" photo!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Oh David!
    Your photos are a real championship!
    They are fantastic!

    Hugs and greetings :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Spectacular! Really spectacular to see this beautiful green heron so beautifully. How I would have liked to take these pictures myself say wow !!!!!!! I'm jealous hihi ....
    Really very beautiful!

    Dear groeyjes, Helma

    ReplyDelete

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land on which we are situated are the lands traditionally used by the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral People. We also acknowledge the enduring presence and deep traditional knowledge, laws, and philosophies of the Indigenous Peoples with whom we share this land today. We are all treaty people with a responsibility to honour all our relations.

Followers