Georgia Backyard Nature

Happy Heron

 

What makes a Great Blue Heron happy? How about catching a really big fish. This Heron caught some sort of big, flat fish and to be honest, I never thought he'd get it down. It took him about 15 minutes (probably waiting for it to stop flopping around) to down his meal, so the video is an edited version. In the last few seconds, you can see his distended neck as the fish slowly goes to his stomach.

Herons frequently fish in the lake, but I've never seen one in a tree. This one perched in the birch tree for about half an hour. He's got an impressive wingspan.

In the picture below you can see that there's another Heron on the sandbar. They are very territorial birds and don't hesitate to drive intruders off so I wonder if that's his mate fishing.

I really like watching Herons. Not only are they beautiful birds with a dignified demeanor, but they are also much better fishermen than most humans I know.

Hungry Herons

The last couple of days ago have been great for heron-watching on the lake.  The big Blue Heron fishes here regularly, but I haven't seen the Green Heron and the Snowy Egret (also known as the White Heron) for a long time. Both came by to fish this week and I'm so happy that I was looking out of the window at the right time to see them.

 

Busy Backyard

Some days there doesn't seem to be much happening in the yard, but yesterday I was amazed at the activity. We had a nice early morning rain and all sorts of hungry creatures showed up. The deer grazed around the lake and a Heron and a couple of ducks looked for a meal.

The geese family came to forage under the feeders.

A nicely camoflagued rabbit nibbled grasses in the natural area by the lake.

A squirrel hoped to raid the mealworm dish.

And a vivid anole showed off his dewlap.

 

 

Winter Wow -- Gleaming Georgia Snow

 

Last night the snow fell in Georgia creating a winter wonderland that we don't see too often. I was out early enjoying the peaceful scene and measured 4 inches of snowfall. Now the weather report says we'll have light freezing rain for the rest of the day.

 

As you can see, the backyard is teeming with all sort of birds--cardinals, titmice, bluejays, mockingbirds, chicadees, and even a flock of starlings. A grumpy looking heron also came by to fish, too.

 

Even though the heron seems less than enthusiastic about the snow and cold, I can always count on the jaunty cardinal to be cheery--he never seems to be bothered by anything.

 

 

Gleaming Great Egret

 

What excitement! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Great Egret, the all white version of the Great Blue Heron, on the lake. Here’s some video of him having a relaxing time grooming his gleaming white feathers. At the end of the video, check out his huge wingspan as he briefly goes airborne.

 

The Great Egret is a majestic bird—at almost four feet high, every bit as big as the Great Blue. Found on every continent except Antarctica, it hunts in marshes, ponds, rivers, lakes, and swamps feeding on fish, amphibians, and even small mammals. Nests are built of sticks and green material in trees near water. One to six eggs are laid, but nestlings don’t always survive because larger young sometimes kill their weaker siblings.

 

 

The symbol of the National Audubon Society, Great Egrets were almost wiped out in the early 1900’s by hunters, who wanted their showy feathers for hats. Fortunately legislation protecting them helped the populations rebound. They’re no longer endangered by hunters, but loss of habitat is a concern.

 

 

I can only hope that this one will return to the lake and bring all his friends. Another heron is always welcome here.

 

Hungry Heron

Here’s some video of a Great Blue Heron eating a nice sized fish. You can see it takes him a few tries to get it lined up just right so he can swallow it head-first and whole. The heron is an amazing fisherman to make a catch like that with only his beak!!

 

 

 

 

Keen Kingfisher Video

Here’s a clip of the kingfisher surveying the lake for a fish. He’s amazingly patient because he spent about thirty minutes perched in that tree scanning the water.  You can good look at its coloring and the long bill.

   

Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to get a picture of one catching a fish because they’re so fast and you never know where they’ll dive. I’m going to keep trying, though, so stay tuned!!

 

To learn more about kingfishers check out

http://www.georgiabackyardnature.com/georgia_backyard_nature/2009/08/keen-kingfisher.html

Big Blue Video

I captured some video of the Great Blue Heron fishing a couple of days ago. He caught something, perhaps some minnows or small fish. But at the end you can see his incredible wingspan as he flies away. He’s an awesome bird and one I never get tired of seeing.

 

 

 

Big Blue

I haven’t mentioned the Great Blue Heron lately, but he’s hard at work every day. He trawls the shallow end of the lake in the morning looking for a good meal. Even those rowdy Canada geese don’t  interfere with his concentration. As you can see, he’s a pretty good fisherman. It’s not a big catch, but he never has a problem finding more.

Keen Kingfisher

 

Another fascinating fisherman that lives on the lake is the Belted Kingfisher.  They’re amazing to watch. I see them sitting atop the willow tree, patiently surveying the lake. Then suddenly one dives headfirst into the water, submerges, the pops to the surface with a small fish!! They also eat amphibians, insects, mice, snakes, and invertebrates.

 

 

Kingfishers are about the size of a pigeon. They have a long pointed bill, slate-grey back, white stomach and a white band around the neck. The head is a darker grey with a shaggy crest. Interestingly, the kingfisher is one of the few birds with the female is more brightly colored than the male. She has a reddish brown stripe across her chest.

 

 

Their nesting habits are unusual for birds. Kingfishers nest along streams, rivers, and lakes where there are banks suitable for them to burrow a nest.  Using their feet and bills, the male and female excavate a tunnel from one to eight feet long, ending in a spherical chamber for the eggs.  It takes from 3-7 days to burrow their nest. The tunnel slopes upward to prevent flooding.  The male and female incubate 5-8 eggs for about 22 days. The young stay in the burrow for about 30 days before they are coaxed out by their parents.

 

Kingfishers can be found throughout the US year round where water does not freeze. The ones that migrate may go as far as South America.

It’s nice that the willow tree has grown big enough to be a good perch for the kingfishers. I enjoy seeing them wait for a luckless fish to swim by. But I’m envious that they such keen eyesight and can see beneath the surface of the lake.