On Saturday morning, Dee and I spent a couple of hours in Jesse Jones Park. The park was exceptionally green and there were butterflies galore.
The cypress boardwalk area was as eerily beautiful as always and the Red-eared Sliders there were less timid than usual.
Although we often had birds calling all around us, very few of them were visible. After 90 minutes, we had seen only about a dozen individuals, and all of those were of common species: Northern Cardinal, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Carolina Chickadee, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Turkey Vulture.
Then we got lucky. On our walk back across the boardwalk to the parking area, we saw a Green Heron. 
Admittedly, this isn't a rare species. But it is one of my very favorite birds, and one that I hadn't yet seen this year.
Another First-of-Year
Mosquitoes are back: Dee and I both got our first bites of the year. So from now on we'll probably have to smother ourselves in Deet before going for walks or even sitting in the yard. Bummer!
The Green Heron is a favorite of mine, too. So much so that I even have a print of one hanging over my mantel.
ReplyDeleteThey're such wonderful birds, aren't they? And for those of us who like taking photos, they have a huge advantage over other herons and egrets - they let you get close to them.
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