A-GreenHeron

Photo Study Of A 2nd Year Green Heron At Bradford Dam, July 31st, 2010

August Mirabella and I checked out Bradford Dam in Warrington Township, Bucks County, PA this afternoon.

Species seen were:

Great Egret	Killdeer	American Robin
Great Blue Heron	Mallard	Northern Mockingbird
Little Blue Heron	Wood Duck	Cedar Waxwing
Green Heron	Bank Swallow	Song Sparrow
Solitary Sandpiper	Barn Swallow	Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Sandpiper	Willow Flycatcher	Yellow Warbler
Least Sandpiper	Eastern Wood-Pewee	American Goldfinch
Cooper's Hawk	Northern Cardinal	Gray Catbird
Red-tailed Hawk	Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Turkey Vulture

Also, while there were six different Green Herons in the impoundment, one neat 2nd Year bird decided to pose for me for about fifteen minutes:

Green Heron

Green Heron Preens

Green Heron Stretches

Green Heron Poses

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small, stocky wading bird common in wet spots across much of North America. It can be difficult to see as it stands motionless waiting for small fish to approach within striking range, but it frequently announces its presence by its loud squawking. The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers. As is typical for many herons, the Green Heron tends to wander after the breeding season is over. Most wanderers probably seek more favorable foraging areas and do not travel far, but occasionally some travel greater distances, with individuals turning up as far as England and France. The Green Heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 17 inches. Its neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck and underparts streaked brown and white, tan-splotched back and wing coverts and greenish-yellow legs and bill. (Cornell BNA; Wikpedia)

To see a larger image of any of the birds below, please click on either the captions or the thumbnails...thanks!


A-GreenHeron	B-GreenHeron	C-GreenHeron	D-GreenHeron	E-GreenHeron

F-GreenHeron	G-GreenHeron	H-GreenHeron	I-GreenHeron	J-GreenHeron

K-GreenHeron	L-GreenHeron	M-GreenHeron	N-GreenHeron	O-GreenHeron

P-GreenHeron	Q-GreenHeron	R-GreenHeron	S-GreenHeron	T-GreenHeron

Revised August 4th, 2010

Howard B. Eskin 2010 Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com Please click here to go back to Bird Webpage Index