NOTE TO ALL BIRDERS...I'd Rather B Birdin'/Bird D'Pot will be on holiday hiatus....this will be my last post and linking tool until after the Christmas Holiday. I will be busy, getting ready for company the week before and the week after. Everything will resume on January 2nd, 2016!! Hope to see y'all return with some exciting photos and beautiful birds. Happy Holidays, and happy birding!! This post and linking will remain active until I return to blogging.....so, if you have some more to share over the week of the 26th to the 2nd ---feel free to come back and add the new link!!!!
It's all dedicated to American Birding Association's 2015 Bird of the Year. The beautiful, oftentimes elusive, Little Green Heron....
- Can be found in nearly any aquatic habitat, but prefers small water bodies with both dense emergent vegetation and open water. From what I've witnessed they're usually alone, and silent hunters; one of the few species of animal known to use "tools" in the hunt for survival. In particular, they commonly use bread crusts, insects, or other items as bait. The bait is dropped onto the surface of a body of water in order to lure fish. When a fish takes the bait, the green heron will then grab and eat the fish. I've watched them eat small crabs, and fish; aquatic food. If anything these birds are nocturnal rather than diurnal, preferring to retreat to sheltered areas in daytime. Silent, tricky, hunters... they can be quite verbal during courtship and territorial disputes when rarely seen in groups. These small, compact, and colorful herons are seasonally monogamous. The pairs form in the breeding range, after an intense courtship display by the males, who select the nesting sites and fly in front of the female noisily and with puffed-up head and neck plumage.
At one time the Little Green Heron was named Green Backed Heron.
The Green Heron can be spotted in our part of Texas year 'round. I've had the opportunity to photograph them at so many various areas and surroundings throughout a 50 mile radius from the home front. From my folders, I chose 18 dedication images to represent the year 2015 in retrospect....
...and so ends the 2015 reign of the Little Green Heron. I'm anxious to find out what bird will be 2016 bird of the year!!!
LITTLE GREEN HERON
photos taken: in various areas around the Corpus Christi area such as Pollywog Ponds, Tule Lake, Oso Bay Wetlands, Blucher Park, Bazemore Park, Hans Suter Park, and around Port Aransas Texas' Leonabelle Turnbull Refuge, Paradise Pond
habitat range map: Green Heron
Now, share your birding experiences:
or use text linking only copy text in lavender text area below and paste into your blog post:
Such a beautiful bird and fabulous photos. It can be very hard to photograph the variations of color in this bird. What a beauty! Thanks for the party. Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeletei love these quirky but beautiful birds, too. enjoy the holidays!
ReplyDeleteHi Anni, thanks for the presentation of the Green Heron and the beautiful images.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a nice Christmas and New Year with friends and family. See you next year :)
Beautiful shots, Anni! Have a marvelous Christmas!
ReplyDeleteVery nice bird - I really like herons - have a good break!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
It's a stunning bird and your photos are wonderful! Loved your comment on my last post. It's always great reading your comments about our "shared" state--AZ! :-) Hope you have a really wonderful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThose Green Herons are such shape-shifters! One minute they look like a little round ball and the next they are almost snake-like. I grew up through the confusing name changes. Same with Baltimore Oriole and Wilson's Snipe-- need to unlearn and then relearn their old names! Have a joyful and relaxing holiday season!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Anni!
ReplyDeleteDearest Anni; OMG,Such gorgeous Green heron is ♡♡♡ And I thought they seem like boasting how they look♪ I can only see blue one, which makes me really happy p:-)
ReplyDeleteHave a happy and Joyful Christmas☆☆☆
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*
Hi Anni.
ReplyDeleteI was so interested to read your summary of the whys and wherefores of the Little Green Heron, especially that it is both mainly nocturnal and a bit of a "tricky dicky", a bit surprising when you go on to show us a series of fine photos of the species.
I once saw one in the UK, a genuine vagrant many moons ago when as you say it was known as Green-backed Heron. I think the new name is much better by describing the bird more accurately.
I hope you enjoy your holiday and tiny break from blogging but come back soon.
Have a lovely time you both. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Anni, enjoy your hiatus. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. As always, thanks for sharing your splendid photos.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays Anni! And Happy New Year. I hope you'll have many more birding adventures in 2016.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites! I've seen I think three, so not very common here, or more likely I do not know where to find them. Have a wonderful holiday season and see you back in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful bird, he looks very elegant.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteI always thought herons were white. It's great to see all these shots and this heron. She looks so awesome. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful birds !! Great shots !!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas !
The Green Heron is a beautiful bird. Unfortunately we do not have this in the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and all your loved ones a few very merry Christmas and a beautiful and loving 2016.
Greetings, Helma
That little Green heron looks mad at he world! Ut still beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a bird again this week. So I'll just laugh at your Heron close up (he looks like a serious fellow) and wish you Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete