![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2EbucE2KkM3splVzFZHHwhE8EwI1RmeAF6obglhInXLkTyCHme7TBbbJyj3oXwZOqL1Bd0S_23GAUzGskAZErMKgQCWgylxKxpyVXfTMc0su8lsDIB9P2nw47CBAhZKfA0FVLjNhyphenhyphentE/s400/Green-Heron%252C-RCSP%252C-5-8-11-8.jpg) |
A great reflection of a Green Heron waiting patiently for a meal to happen by,
Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL; 5/8/2011. |
Green Herons are another arrival in late April to northern Illinois. What I like about these herons is I'll never know where I might see one. Most often they are at the water's edge (Above), but I have also seen them perched high in trees (Below), at times not even near any water, usually in a quiet out of the way place, but sometimes near crowds, as is the case on June 5, this year.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUoOMXNyzwi16E9MSTwWCTgx0yJF9L5KlV1bypUyi_tYovYw_Aj4Piwhg4YfS0LrB585Q6qlMcPj7xI6l6Rmd0H6hoMQZZZ3ytwcJcMECNySRLDDdFmjTDrZFnpdwXvHvgyQKLBRxr2I/s280/Green-Heron%252C-RCSP%252C-4-29-11-.jpg) |
A Green Heron resting in a tree, Rock Cut State Park; 4/29/2011. |
Earlier this month while hiking at Rock Cut State Park (one of my favorite places to bird in the Rockford area), I was walking through a picnic area which was quite busy, when a Green Heron alit on a log at the edge of Lake Pierce in front of a picnic table crowded with people. I was surprised that it would land near so many people. It then put on a display of craning its neck to twice the height of its own body, which I have never seen before - and I have seen plenty of Green Herons (even one eating a frog in one of my posts a year ago -
http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/06/green-herons.html ). Green Herons are inevitably described as a short stocky type of water bird, but when it stretches its neck out, "Short and stocky" aren't the words I would use to descibe it (see Below).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-hbQxKXHHmaOkY8bbI_84Cn3FhkRfDjRPI-Q1EqeUEOepMuHrphMmKPztJS6IGOPbg9Gg6u8tQnuYTpJOkg9hMH4U6PL0yByKJq5vfHmQjcTJPgq2QUqRpn9a6ld_llgKEArAx7ywpE/s280/Green-Heron%252C-RCSP%252C-6-5-11-1.jpg) |
A Green Heron in a busy picnic area of Rock Cut State Park, IL ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7dBz3OmQ9rxk93m4oLCtPKtNpjmK0ZeDAeQxNL5ncY5T7yu1f9bms1VYDrMvBlLJ1KFlfPcPhp_cTBEw-Wyn4PhAjhuvp2qXDmRjoQFfg4ZIxzusgzl8rYlJvDl3dGBoNXFujBA8GMI/s280/GreenHeronRCSP6-5.jpg) |
.. it raised its crest (which I didn't know it had ) ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS46qBYmMeffeD5VLyI5lMo6pG4od7J14llOtQnp88kGvGwrwcJurT5qbe5jsT8D0Z-2v6nCGe1aPFtyl8aMm0a5WK5Fpz9-pwcrLwwgK01x5FTZAKnGpud6FPGDdkNCPeZe-KvyVtMnA/s400/Green-HeronRCSP6-5-11.jpg) |
... then it stretched its neck straight up in the air as if to show off its streaks; 6/5/2011. |
Now I've heard about and seen photographs of Green Herons stretching its neck a bit to reach out and catch a fish, but this Heron (Above) just started stretching its neck straight up in the air - it wasn't reaching for anything ... just stretching. A little stretching , I guess, will never hurt anyone. Another neck-stretching pic below...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9RjG5mklmPuHiwjxijhyenceC9dYEd6EdmPoLdXUvu6BwH8maJuYV08t6Qn7hsfbvd4lfD2Hu4hPfVtnSobuGXFW5PHhGKY66w2eP3R4O_ZvCcDmpvzoBjSvPzVmOPO8eEECZyrataU/s400/Green-Heron%252C-RCSP%252C-6-5-11-1.jpg) |
"How tall can I get?" |
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