Heron Hunting

 Look who was visiting us in the horse pasture this week!

There is a large puddle in the field by the arena that was a haven all spring for frogs and tadpoles. 

It provided a perfect location for this heron to spend a day, picking her way through the tall grass and the boggy bits in search of a snack.


The correct collective term for herons is a "Siege", because they are the siege masters, having perfected the art of waiting out their prey, standing motionless as statues without causing a ripple on the water, just watching.  Sometimes they will spread their wings to cast a shadow over the water to let them more clearly see what is there, and to lure in those creatures who like shade.


She moved, true to her kind, very stealthily and slowly, not in the least bothered that I was nearby.

I watched for quite a while, and she was doing really well with the menu...

the first picture in this post is my favourite.

Herons are a common sight in our bay, often found hunting in the shallow waters at both sides of the curving bay.