I had seen a couple of Green Herons flying around one of my favorite local birding spots on the previous day. I actually got a close-up of one as it landed in a nearby bush, perhaps its nesting location. So on a whim the next morning I said to Jen, “I’m going to run over and see if the Green Herons are out”. I parked my car near the pond where the egret rookery is and I saw one of my photographer friends way down by the egrets with his chair and monopod, settled in nicely taking photographs of the egrets nesting. As I walked toward him I spotted a little Green Heron on a fallen tree! Just who I was looking for!!! :)

I carefully inched closer and closer to the heron, careful not to scare him off with any sudden movements. I had a little ground cover to hide behind. Finally, I was as close as I could get. I must have held up my camera with its relatively heavy 100-400mm zoom lens, focused on the heron for at least a half hour.

At the same time, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my photographer friend had spotted me and had worked his way over to within 15 feet from me. He had his big lens also focused on the heron. For the longest time we didn’t say a word. I could hear his shutter going off simultaneously with mine. Both of us were doing our best to catch the Green Heron in unique, funny, or classic poses.

My arms started to get heavy as I held steady on the bird. I was waiting for the head feathers to flare up and out, one of my favorite looks of the Green Heron. On occasion I had to lower the camera and shake out my arms for them to recover, praying that I wouldn’t miss “the shot”!

All the while my friend was standing there with his monopod, I’m sure grateful for the investment he had made in the handy tool. A monopod is like a tripod for a camera but with only one leg. It’s great for staying focused on a bird for long periods of time, taking on the weight of the camera, and helps to hold the camera steady.

Herons, egrets, owls, and eagles can all remain stationary for very long periods of time. I’ve always liked to have the freedom to swing my camera around quickly, point it up to the sky or down to the ground, and a monopod is somewhat restricting for that type of photography.

But, with this Green Heron a monopod would have been most welcomed! :) The little guy gave me all kinds of poses, except for the big head-feather flare. Instead, it surprised me with a more unusual pose. It stretched its neck out and up with its beak pointing straight up to the sky. It’s a classic mating ritual pose, a way of showing off for the female heron.

I love that the Green Heron has so many looks. It makes photographing them fun.

Once the heron decided it was time to walk back along the fallen tree and disappeared into the woods, we looked at each other and I said, “Wasn’t that something!” He enthusiastically agreed.

I went back again the next day to a nearby location and saw another Green Heron on another fallen branch. This one made me work just as hard. Testing my patience. LOL.

I call him Mean Joe Green, because after many minutes of just standing still he decided to shake his feathers and give me a mean looking stare. He also gave me a little bit of the ruffled head-feather look that gives Green Herons a bit of a Roadrunner look.

Maybe down the road a monopod will become part of my birding arsenal, but for now I’m going to look at those long photo sessions where my arms feel like they are going to fall off as exercise. :)

If you’re interested in seeing a Green Heron, they like to hang out down by the water’s edge. They nest along shorelines, in shrubbery and ground cover. They are more active around nesting time, which is now (May) here in Mt. Pleasant, SC. They are monogamous for a season so you can sometimes spot the pairs together. They like to eat small fish, crawfish, frogs, insects, etc… They will usually wait patiently for something to come near and then strike out with its beak.

Thank you for your interest in my photos and my art. I’m currently working on several commissioned paintings so I won’t be posting any work-in-progress photos in the near term. I’ve never painted a Green Heron but maybe someday! :)

“One of the joys of being an artist is having the freedom to follow my passion….”

— William R. Beebe

Moments in the Sun for the Green Heron ~ A good reason to buy a monopod!