What a Juvenile Heron Dislikes

A group of people, walking a group of dogs, walking towards them, fingers pointed, yelling, "is that a baby heron!" quite loudly.

It is possible that young herons dislike many things, but the description above is one I'm certain of. For the record, it doesn't make folks taking pictures of them very happy either.

That said, I totally get the joy in spotting these birds. There are four now that are hanging around the local swamp, two great blues (including the youngster above) and two green herons. They are starting to attract a small following as well; as I sneaked into a wooded area trying to get a picture of the birds from behind their wet fortress (receiving about 20 mosquito bites in the process), I must have watched 30 or more people walk or bicycle nearby, all pausing to peek at the wonderful creatures. Some days I can bike for over one hour on these trails and pass maybe 10 or less people, so perhaps the birds are supporting healthy hikes and rides for our lethargic neighbors. Good for them.