I can sit in the house for an hour watching the Egret fish, but when I open the patio door to go outside for a closer look, it leaves. If I'm already out in the garden when it comes to the pond, it tolerates my presence, but pull out a camera and, yes, it leaves.
Recently, I was working out in the garden when I noticed the Egret walking on the bank towards my side of the pond. I quickly dashed into the house, grabbed my camera and slipped out the front door. The plan was to sneak up on the Egret. When I opened the gate, I saw that the Egret was poised (posed?) at the top of the bank just behind the fence. By the time I snapped a shot, it had turned its head.
I waited for it to turn back. When it did, this is what I got.
Yes, it's sad but true, I've turned into a wading bird paparazza.
(Fleeing Great Blue Heron.)
23 comments:
"Squirell-haven"?
Are yo making this up?
Mr P lives in BadgerVille...
MrMcD, Egrets and Herons are very skittish. You were lucky to get so close. You know they are trying to pass laws about the paparazzi. (sp) tee heee.
LOL! Well, I guess everyone needs a hobby? Um, at least you don't follow it home or anything.
Beautiful bird...I hope you post more about your pond, it looks lovely.
gail
Hi, Mr. Pineapple! I don't live in a town called Squirrelhaven, that's the name of my garden. If I ever become a property developer, I'll name the development "Squirrelhaven." It'll be better than a subdivision called "The Woods" that doesn't have any trees.
Lisa - I hadn't heard about their skittish tendencies, but that makes sense. The ducks sit on the bank right there & they don't care if I walk right up to the fence.
Cinj - I don't have to follow it home, I know where it lives. (Que scary music.)
Gail - I wish it were my pond, I'd grow tall plants right down to the water to discourage the dumb Canada Geese.
Ooops, sorry Mr. Pineapples, I dropped the "s." I used to be able to type...
Hi MMD! I completely understand how one might become excited enough to grab a camera and hope to photograph the unique and unusual! (Or even the regular and common!) ;-) You have quite the opportunistic view!! Try again.
Hi! And godmorning :o)! Here in Sweden its early morning at the moment. Now I have read a bit on your blogg.... and I am in LOVE!!!! In love with your anemoellas!!! Åhhh they are sooooooooooo beutiful!!!
I hope you have a nice day.
And thank you for wisiting my blogg.
Linda
Hello
Thank you for the message on my Blotanical 'Plot' for ESTHER IN THE GARDEN.
Understanding what on earth (or universe)is going on is pretty remote unless you take a look at some of the earlier days - so I do recommend the CONTENTS PAGE .
(Even then, I think most people get 'lost' from time to time - but that is part of the fun!)
Egrets - we have Little Egrets along an area of our Dorset coast called 'The Fleet'. I remember the first time I saw one - I couldn't believe my eyes - they don't 'belong' here! It was very beautiful and exotic.
Now there are breeding pairs - and I have mixed feelings.
They are still beautiful - but their arrival on the south coast of England is a sign of climate change.
(We have herons too - they make me laugh because they never seem quite able to get their feet off the ground when they fly. They are like aeroplanes before they retract their wheels.)
Esther Montgomery
Just thought I would pop by.
Love your garden....and the bird.
All the best
P
Hi MMD, You did a great job getting a shot of the egret. That's part of the beauty, the elusiveness. The pond is a treasure that you get to enjoy, how wonderful to get to see those large majestic birds. Do try the sweet peas inside next year, maybe start in January. Do you start seeds indoors?
Frances
mmd,
You're being kind when you say dumb Canada Geese!
Whose pond is it? City, county or state? They won't let it be planted?
Gail
It must be nice to be able to watch those kinds of birds from your house! We see the heron's fly over frequently but we aren't close enough to observe any.
Shady - maybe if I remember to bring my camera out with me every time I go work in the garden I might catch an Egret or Heron unawares. I'm so glad I have a digital camera - there's so many shots of the birds flying away.
Linda Lunda - thanks for the return visit! If you've got a bit of shade, I'm sure Anemonellas would do fine for you, as they are quite cold hardy.
Hi, Ester - welcome & thanks for visiting! We haven't had any quite so dramatic evidence of global warming as birds well beyond their range or hanging around much later than usual. Herons are both beautiful & kind of dorky. I think that's why I like them so much.
Mr. Pineapples - thanks! (This time I got the name right, whoopee.)
Frances - I stink at indoor seed starting. Either my seedlings damp off, or they get washed out in their littles pots before I can plant them out, or the squirrels get them. Maybe I'll try again next year. I always carefully peruse the Sweet Pea section of Thompson & Morgan.
Gail - the pond belongs to a homeowners' association. I know someone who lives in that neighborhood, but I've never asked her about the pond. They might not want water plants because they use the pond for skating in the winter. And don't even get me started on those lousy geese. At least they don't come into my yard (knock on wood).
Hi,Dave - my kids are so spoiled, they don't realize what a privilege it is to have these birds fish where we can watch them. I hadn't even seen a Great Blue Heron until I was an adult & I hadn't seen a Great Egret until I moved to this house.
MMD,
Cool, I've been catching up with you this a.m. Plants sales, egrets and nemonellas, oh my . . . .
I love nemonellas too. I planted three this spring for the first time ever. I'll let you know if they survive the winter.~~Dee
Oh how lovely, I could sit there all day and watch that beautiful Heron and that lovely water.
What a treat to see an egret in your backyard! I think you did a terrific job in getting photos of him/her.
A blue heron (herons remind me of egrets, you see) once landed on my garden shed! I had no idea how large they were before that--and it was a bit of a surprise; while I do live near a creek, it's also densely wooded, making a clear path difficult. Isn't nature cool?
~ Monica
Dee - that's not even the half of what I've been up to recently. I wanted to capture the beauty of the Crabapples around here, but I think I'm already too late.
Melanie - I like to watch when they catch a fish & swallow it whole.
Rose - thanks, I guess my sneak attack was a good idea.
Monica/The Garden Faerie - Herons are on topic(my last photo is of a Heron), you found out why they call them "Great" Blue Herons. I've never seen them land on anything but ground & trees, how great that it landed on the shed. I agree, nature is awesome.
It's good to see a successful bird stalking, MMD! How lovely to be close enough to see the birds fish.
My camera makes a whirring sound when it opens, but turns itself off so quickly that I don't have time to sneak up with it ready to shoot. Once the birds hear the motor they flee before I can snap the shutter.
But no egrets or herons are likely to land here!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie - the most successful wildlife photographers have super-sized zoom lens that allow them to be far enough away for the camera noise not to disturb their quarry. I guess we need better photo equipment.
All things considered, I think you did a great job getting some pictures of the skittish egret. And it is nice to live near water where you can watch them. Better than anything on TV.
I'm trying to stalk hummingbirds, but I don't think I have the camera for it. Hmmmm... maybe it is time for a new camera?
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Carol - Egrets move fast, but definitely not as fast as Hummers. I'd say you need a good camera that doesn't have a long delay between shots. Oh, and a big telephoto lens. Go for it!
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