The Heron Showed Up again today

[jmcquown]

Don't know why but this is the third time I've seen it in as many days:

https://i.postimg.cc/QCPNJCsg/blue-strolling2.jpg

They are magnificent looking birds!

Jill in Southern South Carolina

[Leon Fisk]

Nice picts :)

They will eat pretty much anything that moves and can be subdued.
Frogs, toads, mice, snakes, lizards, salamanders, insects... Would guess
it has been finding something of interest to munch on while strolling
around your place...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

[jmcquown]

Probably anole lizards or peepers (tiny tree frogs). I hadn't really
considered it. It is unusual to see one strolling around for days in a
row. :) They are lovely big birds!

Jill

[Leon Fisk]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2022 09:58:38 -0400
jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:

<snip>
>Probably anole lizards...

Those are cool. Nothing like that in my area...

Years ago while out biking... I spooked a Great Blue off a hayfield
while going past. The writhing snake in its beak was obvious to see as
it took flight. Looked up what they eat when I got back home and found
snakes were on their yummy list along with many other small
critters I had not considered ;-)

[jmcquown]

Black snakes (non-venonmous) are common in this area although I haven't
seen any in a around my house this year. I was surprised to learn
herons eat snakes, thanks!

Some years back I saw a black snake when there was a nesting pair of
Cardinals in the pyracantha next to garage. One day I was looking out
the window and saw the cardinals going crazy. Turned out they were
trying to beat off a snake. They had babies in the nest that had not
yet fledged. They tried but couldn't stop it from slithering up the
tree and taking the baby birds from the nest.

I think there are some cardinals nesting in that pyracantha again.
Maybe even a fledgling. Perhaps I could talk the Heron to walk up my
driveway to where the nest is to check for snakes. ;)

Jill

[Leon Fisk]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2022 11:23:20 -0400
jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:

<snip>

>I think there are some cardinals nesting in that pyracantha again.
>Maybe even a fledgling. Perhaps I could talk the Heron to walk up my
>driveway to where the nest is to check for snakes. ;)

Now that's a plan I'd like to see in action ;-)

Watched a presentation at the zoo many years ago with a
Secretary bird. It beat the crap out of a rubber snake they laid out for
it. In their native environment they take on Adders and Cobras. The
feathered Rikki-Tikki-Tavi :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird#Food_and_feeding

[jmcquown]

On 4/24/2022 12:54 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Apr 2022 11:23:20 -0400
> jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> <snip>
>> I think there are some cardinals nesting in that pyracantha again.
>> Maybe even a fledgling. Perhaps I could talk the Heron to walk up my
>> driveway to where the nest is to check for snakes. ;)
>
> Now that's a plan I'd like to see in action ;-)
>
> Watched a presentation at the zoo many years ago with a
> Secretary bird. It beat the crap out of a rubber snake they laid out for
> it. In their native environment they take on Adders and Cobras. The
> feathered Rikki-Tikki-Tavi :)
>

Rudyard Kipling?


> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird#Food_and_feeding
>

That's fun stuff. I like watching the nature programs on PBS about
birds. :)

Jill

[Leon Fisk]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2022 14:07:39 -0400
jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:

<snip>

>> feathered Rikki-Tikki-Tavi :)
>>
>Rudyard Kipling?

Yeah, the classic Mongoose versus Cobra story...