A Great Blue Heron And Canada Geese Meet At The Lake

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My Nature Journal Photos

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

I thought this was a funny little scene when I spotted this Great Blue Heron standing on a rock and looking disgruntled.

Great Blue Herons are stalkers by nature. They prefer quiet surroundings and calm water through which they can see their fish prey. A few minutes before, this heron was enjoying a quiet corner of the lake. Then the gaggle of Canada Geese moved in and surrounded it. A few moments after I snapped this photo, the Great Blue spread its mighty wings, squawked in seeming outrage, and flapped its way into the air.

I watched it make a beeline for the opposite, empty shore with deep, slow beats of its huge wings. I can’t help but imagine it was just hoping for some peace and quiet.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Canada Geese are downright common in my area, and many people consider them to be pests, mostly because they foul walkways and freshwater ponds with their waste. But doing so isn’t really their fault.

Unlike some birds, they don’t have crops to help them digest their food so they must eat a lot every day to nourish themselves. Unfortunately, their lack of crop means that their plant food passes through them quickly, which results in a great deal of soft, green waste littering the landscape and fouling the water.

I dislike stepping in and over Canada Goose poop as much as the next person, but I enjoy the presence of these large, gregarious birds nevertheless. Most of the geese in my area seem to be resident; they no longer undertake the long-distance, seasonal migrations traditional to their species.

But I remember seeing the classic V-shape of these birds flying high overheard when I was a child. I still enjoy watching a V-shaped squadron of these birds in flight, even if they confine their formation flying to skipping from one local lake to another. My local birds no longer fly far, but they fly fast, honking furiously all the while.

Green June Bug Beetle Cotinus nitida

Green June Bug beetles are large, heavy-bodied beetles that only appear in my region for a few weeks every summer. As their common name suggests, the adults first appear around the month of June, although they remain in flight for many weeks.

Today, the nature trail around the lake was absolutely teeming with these beetles. Despite their large size- adults grow to 1.3 inches (3.3 cm)- these beetles zoom around surprisingly fast. They fly low to the ground so that they can take refuge in vegetation quickly if predators arrive on the scene.

Their beautiful green and bronze bodies disappear into the background initially, but these insects are so big that a moment’s concentration on a patch of grass or bushes reveals many individuals.

Blue Dasher Dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis

I love all kinds of dragonflies and Blue Dashers are one of my favorite species. Unlike some of their cousin species, which hardly ever land, Blue Dashers often perch for several moments, which make them one of the easiest dragonfly species to photograph.

Plus, I think they are exceedingly beautiful, especially the males. This male shows off his brilliant, shiny green eyes, yellow and black thoracic stripes, and powder-blue abdomen. To top it off, Blue Dashers eat an enormous number of flying insects, including biting flies.

Honestly, what’s not to love?

Christine

Christine is the creator and author of NowIWonder.com, a website dedicated to the animals and plants that share our world, and the science that helps us understand them. Inspired by lifelong exploration and learning, Christine loves to share her knowledge with others who want to connect with wild faces and wild spaces.

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