If anyone ever wondered why Night Herons showed up at a marsh here in Iowa, you only need to look at their preferred diet to understand why. It all comes down to crawdads. This marsh was loaded with them, and some were quite large. Sitting on the muddy shoreline you come to know the creatures … Read more
Looking back over the last year or so, it’s obvious to me that birding can bring along a lot of good surprises. There was the pleasure of spending more time than I ever had with Short-Eared Owls…and to be honest…Night Herons weren’t even on my radar. But what a treat they turned out to be … Read more
It’s easy to tell when a Night Heron is locked in on brunch. They start to move very slowly and lean forward in a very deliberate and tactical approach. Sometimes if you look out ahead of them you can see what they’re after. A crayfish may be situated among some surface algae. Often they seem … Read more
I have my doubts about karma actually existing. At least as far as trash is concerned. If it did, for every careless and clueless litterer that mindlessly dumps their garbage in places it doesn’t belong…they should come home only to find a veritable heaping, stinking, landfill in their front yard. It would serve them right.
While walking through HyVee today, I happened to glance in the seafood section and saw an ample pile of cooked crawfish. Now normally I wouldn’t think much of that, except for the fact that I’ve been watching Night Herons devour the things with great enthusiasm. Surely they must taste pretty darned good. But despite the … Read more
This immature Yellow Crowned Night Heron is definitely not the top dog at the marsh. The young birds will generally stay away from the adults that are hunting. If they get too close, like this one did, they are sure to get chased off in quick fashion. There is a pecking order here…and the young … Read more