Heron nest.

[minnowman]

tHAT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BLUE HERON.

 

[fishin4cars]

Gary, the photo makes it look somewhat blue but it's more black than blue, it's head has some brownish tint and the beak is very yellow. Nothing like the Great Blue heron, the beak is more yellow like the tricolored heron but there is no white down the front of the neck like most pics I have seen. the pics I have seen on the little Blue Heron are close but the beak on them appears to be shorter than this bird and far more brown or at least in the pics I found it seems to be. But yes that is a possibility. i've also considered that it might not be a heron but possibly a Ibis. This pic is from the internet, not the bird that has the babies on the pond. But they do have some similar features, yet are still quite different.

 

[j.w]

Now next you'll have to watch for the beaver and get some shots of those to post up here. Wonder if they'll be bothering your trees?
The bird in that internet photo is quite pretty! Noticed it doesn't have a sharp pointy bill like the Great Blue Herons do. Must be a scooper or a grabber type of hunter.

 

[minnowman]

From the pic on the brush pile the beak is straight, so it can't be an ibis. Ibises usually feed by probing in soft mud for crawfish and other critters.

 

[fishin4cars]

JW, I have seen beaver marks and stubs where the beavers have made it up to the pond at some point before we bought the property. I haven't seen one yet though. Was also told two alligators have been removed from the pond as well. i haven't seen one of those either but have do doubt I could if one came up from the river. Gary, I've watched her and she very rarely catches fish, if she does they are very small, and there are plenty of small bream for her to catch. I've seen snail shells in the droppings and crawfish pinchers on the ground and seen her bring crayfish to the nest. Is the beak curved or straight. I would say more toward curved but in the pic it appears more straight. I looked at some pics this evening of the lesser blue heron, tri-color, and the Ibis. And honestly, I'm really torn on what it is.

 

[CountryEscape]

Wow, what a neat bird, and what a gorgeous place to watch her and her babies. Thanks for sharing them with us. Larkin. I need to fan out and check the new posts more often, but I have so many posts I'm following already. LOL Going to follow this one, too, though.

 

[fishin4cars]

Thanks CE, I'm hoping I can figure out what kind of herons I'm watching. the more I look the more uncertain what they truley are. After Minnowman said it might be a lesser blue heron I keep looking at all of them and I'm really not sure.
Want to enjoy some beautiful photography. here is a link to the site I keep comparing to. I've been viewing it for several hours and the photographers story is heart breaking and sad. But his work is beautiful and I promise will give you a whole new thought about the birds we call enemies.
http://www.pbase.com/ronnie_14187/the_birds_of_louisiana

 

[addy1]

Nice site, fishin. The one reason I won't hurt the heron's. It is not their fault I made a sushi bar for them. My job is to protect the fish and make it hard for them to eat, at the sushi bar.

 

[CountryEscape]

I would never kill a heron either, but if it was on my pond, I would chase it away. It's welcome on my farm pond, though. Someday .... maybe ... I may build a different farm pond, make it straight down sides on all sides except one end that I would make shallow enough to have plants and lotuses growing. Then, I would keep that area safe from herons with netting. But, until then, they can fish in my farm pond all they want. Not even sure what is in there, but did see a baby bluegill, and there are lots of minnows in there, and I know there are carp, since two committed suicide last year in the spring when we had the heavy rains! LOL Never fished it, though, since edges are covered with cattails and creeping weigelia.
Larkin or Addy, how did you get to the photographer's "story". I wasn't sure what to click on to get to that part! I'd love to read it.

 

[fishin4cars]

CE, if you click on a pic you'll see comments at the bottom of each page. go to home page and look at his favorite pics, under them you start reading comments and see where he responded. He goes in detail about his illness and how it affected him. It's sad and really makes you appreciate all his work.

 

[CometKeith]

Great pictures Larkin, very exciting. We had some herons in the news here last week. They made a nest right by the Lincoln Park Zoo and the zoo closed off the area so they wouldn't be disturbed. http://www.lpzoo.org/blog/index.php/black-crowned-night-herons-fledging-at-n?blog=19

 

[j.w]

What a cute baby heron!.....................just keep away from my pond little buddy!

 

[addy1]

They will stay away jw, afraid of you attack cats! We are still heron free, no clue why unless it is the gator heads.

 

[CountryEscape]

Addy, I think they are waiting until fall, when your babies are larger, and the weather is cooler! Sure hope not! Glad you have kept them at bay.

 

[addy1]

We are wetter this year, even though we are still 6 inches behind. That may have kept water in the natural ponds, streams and rivers. Which may be keeping them away, or it is just a matter of time and they will do a stop over.