Great Blue Heron in High Park: September 28, 2020

The Great Blue Heron is the most conspicuous wader in Ontario waters, waiting patiently at the edge of marshes for an unwary fish or frog to come its way:

Great Blue Heron and mallards

or flapping ponderously high in the sky.

Great Blue Heron

This big blue-gray bird stands about 4 feet tall:

Great Blue Heron

They migrate south into the United States, Central America and northern South America.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron

Other birds:

Mallards (female)
Mallards (female)
Wood Duck (male)
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Red-winged Blackbird (female)
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Goldfinch (female)
American Goldfinch (female)
American Goldfinch (female)
American Goldfinch (female)
American Goldfinch (female)
American Goldfinch (female)
House Sparrows (female)

Species list: great blue heron, double-crested cormorant, Canada goose, mallard, wood duck, red-tailed hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, American robin, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, northern cardinal, American goldfinch. (22 species)

Today’s group:

Park scenes:

Chipmunk
Monarch on Butterfly Bush
Monarch on Butterfly Bush

Some botany:

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens grandulifera)
Purple-stemmed Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum)
Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Sky-blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentandiense)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)

NATURE POETRY

Take the fruit I give you, says the bending tree;
Nothing but a burden is it all to me.
Lighten ye my branches, let them toss in air.
Only leave me freedom, next year’s load to bear.   – Lucy Larcom (1824–93) 

Miles Hearn

4 thoughts on “Great Blue Heron in High Park: September 28, 2020

  1. peter

    I really enjoy reading your blog and I subscribed to your daily post a while ago. My friend also wants to subscribe, but I can not find the link to do that. Can you pls let me know how she can subscribe to your daily post.

    thx so much

    Reply
  2. rosemarie fischer

    what gorgeous pictures,wants me to be Out there so badly!!! really nice of you to share these with us!
    Thanks Miles…..
    Rosemarie Fischer

    Reply

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