[Tweeters] Green Heron behavior

[Sego Jackson]

Southend, Whidbey Island. There is a Green Heron on our pond this morning with interesting behavior/interactions. It landed 20 feet up on a cedar branch, jumped from branch to branch then assumed a hunting stance, and in fact jabbed something in the air. Over the course of half an hour, it repeatedly followed behind a kingfisher hunting the pond, following its flight pattern and landing near it or replacing it on its perch. Several times the heron flew across pond to swoop close to and around a Great Blue Heron and then return to opposite side of pond. I then heard it squawking and looked up to realize the area it had been frequenting on the cedar was now occupied by a Great Horned Owl.  After 10 minutes or so, the owl flew back into the alder forest.  As I began typing this, the heron squawked again, this time seemingly in response to a young osprey who just arrived and started calling. It seemed attentive to the osprey as long as it was calling and when it stopped (or left, not sure which) the heron assumed  what I would characterize as a “relaxed” position. It is now hanging out at the base of cattails at the pond’s edge. The pond is teaming with small trout, lots of aquatic insects, etc. but I have yet to see it hunting the water. This was all between 7-9 am August 7.  Has anyone else seen similar green heron behavior, especially with kingfishers? Any thoughts are welcome. Dang, was just ready to click send and more is happening. The Great Blue flew from its rock and the Green swooped over and followed the Great Blue as it left the pond area. The Green then returned to the pond, landed on the rock where the Great Blue had been, and then flew circles around the pond three times, again landing where the Blue had been. Now it is calling occasionally while moving from tree to tree: weeping willow, cedar, firs. Sego Jackson, Whidbey Island
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