Green Heron

This picture was taken in our back yard on 26th August, 2007. I was out on the Island in our pond feeding the fish and turtles when I spotted this guy, so went back and got my camera. I was lucky enough to get good shots of him catching his favourite food: frogs. This frog was a bit big for him and he had trouble swallowing him. He had to keep dunking him back in the water to make him a little more slippery. In one of the photo's it looks like the frog is trying to keep his front legs out as far as possible. If they were a little longer, maybe he could have grabbed the Heron by the neck. Herons are the only bird that quite often will use bait such as insects to catch their main prey, fish and frogs. They'll catch an insect and then drop it in the water waiting for a fish or frog to investigate.

Common Loon

This picture was taken on the 18th July, 2007 on a lake near Huntsville, Ontario. It's a wilderness bird and it's rare that more than one pair will be on a lake, unless it is a large lake. They can't walk on land very well and therefore build there nest close to the waters edge. They are unable to take off from land because their legs are too far back on their body. Migrating Loons will occassionally mistake a wet roadway for water and then become stranded because they are unable to take off. Even in water, they need a fairly long stretch of water to become airborne.

American Wookcock

This picture was taken in our front yard on 26 August, 2007. American Woodcock's are classified as a shore bird but spend most of their time in the woods where their camoflage is so perfect they are seldom seen. We've had a pair of them around all summer and they had a successful nesting because I've seen as many as 3 all at the same time. Although they normally spend all their time is the woods, these guys really like our lawn and flower gardens where they can find their favourite food; worms. We're lucky in that we see at least one of them almost every day.