A Heron Sighting

I have some photos of a very cool bird to show you guys. Now, I'm still not entirely sure what kind of bird it is, but my best guess so far is a Blue Heron. There are just a few a details that are different from the Blue Herons I've seen photos of online. But I'm still pretty sure this is a Heron of some type. I took these photos on the same day I took those November walk photos in the last blog post.

I took a ton of photos because this bird kept changing its neck and head in new ways. Plus, how many chances am I going to get to photograph one of these?

This photo is my computer wallpaper right now. I loved the way that these different birds were coexisting. If you can make this photo any larger, you'll see that the duck was looking at me. Her mate was swimming nearby. At this point, I think the heron was entirely focused on fishing.

Again, if you can close in, take a look at this bird's yellow eye. I thought there was a sweet look to the eyes, unlike the eyes of some other herons I've seen pictures of online. 

Here it looks almost like a swan.

Look how they can scrunch up their necks.

Can you spot the heron in this pic? Without its reflection, it might be hard to spot.

A close view of its fluffy, feathery back:

And a look at its legs. The knees are something. They look almost like they can bend back. If you guys could have seen how this bird was slooooowly stalking through the water, you'd be fascinated too!

There's her mate. They were so cute. 

And what a wonderful nature preserve for all these birds to hang out in! We saw a muskrat swimming around this area last summer. There are probably all kinds of birds and animals attracted to this water.

I like this photo because the water is nearly invisible. The plants just look they're floating. It was one of those days where the sky matches the water perfectly and it all blends into this light grayish-blue.

I'm going to add a few photos of what was left of the flowers in this area. I'm not sure what these little powder puffs are. 

There are some very bright trees in the park that I am yet to identify. It's tempting to say they're pine, but they're so soft. And I haven't seen any pinecones or anything remotely like one on the ground. Any ideas?  

Here's another one:

This thistle looks like some kind of creature with outstretched arms in this stage. There are even spikes on those "arms".

Little Aster Daisies or Michaelmas Daisies:

It's hard to remember what some of these plants looked like in summer. I ended up googling Goldenrod seeds, because I remembered Goldenrod growing around that area. I'm pretty sure I was right and that's what this is!

This post seems like a good one to end on with winter on its way. These photos look like the end of a season. Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁