LOOKIN' GOOD AGAIN

I was so happy to see this Great Blue Heron looking so much healthier than when I last saw him in July. He was so thin then and seemed to be sick. His chosen habitats are two man-made ponds by commercial centers – not the best locations for fresh, clean water and certainly not much in the way of fish to eat. You can see the water looks murky!

When I saw him today, he was stalking something in the water, and I hoped I could get a shot with his catch in his mouth. But no, whatever he caught was small enough that it didn’t stick out of his beak. (In this shot he’s just bringing his head back out of the water after snatching something.) Really though, I doubt there is much more than plankton or algae in these ponds – maybe insects or at most the equivalent of a minnow. (Maybe he's a vegetarian!)

Sept. 30th I had blipped another Heron that lives on the river, right by a dam that would provide great fishing. He looked so strong and healthy compared to this guy when I’d last seen him, so I was really pleased to see today’s Heron had regained his health. (In this shot, I liked his reflection on the water.)