[Tweeters] Green Heron behavior

[Dianna Moore]

I had the same thought.
Dianna Moore
Ocean Shores

On Sat, Aug 7, 2021 at 11:07 AM <dgrainger at birdsbydave.com> wrote:


>

> A wild speculation on my part: could this be  recently fledged youngster

> who has been cut loose from food source parents for the first time, and

> is franticly looking for any bird that might respond to the "feed me,

> feed me" squawking and flutter?

>

>

> On 2021-08-07 09:17, Sego Jackson wrote:

> > 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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