The swampy pond in our backyard looks like a putting green right now, evenly covered with duck weed. I prefer open water. The Green Heron who feeds back there every few days doesn't seem to mind. It was there this morning, moving from one perch to another as it looked for food. I've watched one of these birds take a minnow from the pond, a big surprise for me since the pond freezes solid in the winter. Frogs, yes; the heron catches those routinely. Wednesday morning, though, I watched it make several strikes, coming up each time with a bill full of salad, main course lacking or wrapped in the greens. The bird made two dives into the water, something I've not seen before. The usual routine is a strike from an over-the-water perch, a stab into the green. I assume the bird sees movement just below the carpet. Here are photos of the heron's hunt.
