Image name: GreenHeron

Green Heron, Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, Florida

This short, stocky heron has a seemingly short neck, but as fish find out too late, that neck can be extended a surprisingly long way. Green Herons are very intelligent birds and use insects, small twigs, and other items to entice small fish to come within range. They also can be very expressive. This Green Heron is showing some irritation with his mate. He had brought a stick to his mate for their nest, but she rejected it. He flew to the marsh behind some bushes, out of his mate's sight, and waited a few minutes still holding his stick. He tried flying back to the nest with the same stick, but his mate again rejected it. He then flew to this tree branch, dropped the stick and in this shot he is seen looking back toward his nest and mate.