The White Heron

I am always on the lookout for the heron that hunts down at our farm pond.

 

Sometimes I am lucky and I see it, but most of the time I am not lucky. I just keep looking.

 

Yesterday was one of those unlucky days as herons go. No heron findings for me.

 

 

 

 

Earlier, before leaving on my walk, I did see a chipmunk on our under construction brick wall for our soon-to-be greenhouse.  That was a surprise as a chipmunk sighting in our yard is rare…or, at least a live chipmunk sighting.  Our cats do not live in harmony with our chipmunk population. But, our cats are getting old and the chipmunks now have a better chance of outsmarting or even outrunning the cats.

 

Glenn was down near the pond around noon.  He called  to inform me that the ‘heron’ was hanging out on the pond house deck.  I quickly grabbed my camera and binoculars and set up my observation post on our back deck. I was able to somewhat view the bird but the distance from our house deck to the pond house is quite a stretch.   My camera telephoto is not quite adequate for this distance. The binoculars are worse.

Now that the photo is up on the computer screen, I can see that the bird is white...

 

So, I enjoyed a few minutes spying said ‘heron’ from a distance since I knew if I tried to sneak up on the bird it probably would have left prior to my arrival.  Like always, the heron will return.

 

Later, in the day, Glenn asked about the white heron.  White heron?  My heron is not white.

 

I retrieved my camera and started to zoom in on my photos.

 

That was no heron at the pond house that was a Great Egret. 

 

DARN…I would have made the effort to get down to the pond house unnoticed for an egret.  This was the first egret, witnessed, on our farm.   Too late now.

 

But, it was super exciting to know that a Great Egret was visiting!