Great Blue Heron - freshwater versus saltwater

Who'd you rather?

freshwater {derexa pond} or saltwater {longboat key, sarasota} 

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is always solo at the pond feeding with other species mainly the Great White Egrets.

Bird du jour at pond - Egrets +

Derexa pond has had less and less birds each day this week. I think the fish are getting down in numbers. Today I saw Great egrets, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Sandhill Crane, black necked stilt, Common Gallinule, Double-crested Cormorant, and Mallard x Mottled Ducks.

I asked at whatbird.com why I am seeing cattle egrets, some pure white and some with tan and here was the answer:

per Joejr14 "Cattle egrets in breeding plumage get the tan/orange coloration on the head/neck.  When they're not in breeding plumage they're all white."

Great Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egrets - long legged!

Derexa pond (just across the street from my house) being enjoyed by the long leggeds again. So beautiful at around 7-7:30 pm with birds on the east side of pond.

Great Egrets

left to right great egret, great blue heron, cattle egret, great egret

Great Egrets and Great Blue Heron

Thank you Javier and all the homeowners on Derexa pond in our subdivision who were so instrumental in getting the County to stop the chemical applications last Spring, and get the planting of all this new green eco friendly pond vegetation. It is really coming in nice this Spring and the wildlife is really happy. Look at these Great Egrets and Great Blue Heron enjoying themselves yesterday. It was beautiful! Thank you so much for all your hard work. It paid off! Together you all made a huge difference even when at times it seemed so much easier to give up. Muah!.