When birding near shallow bodies of water in the eastern Carolina’s it’s hard not to stumble on a Green Heron or two hanging out on the shore.
I spotted these beauties earlier this week while birding along the Carl Bazemore Bird Walk in Sunset Beach NC.

It was a lot of fun to watch them squabble for the premium perches in the scrubby brush which lined the shore. There were several of them nesting in the cattails near the observation deck too.
It takes a few minutes to spot them nestled in the reeds so patience is required lol. My best advice is to look for the reflection of sunlight glinting off of their eyes among the shadows.
Since they are so common they’re often overlooked but if the light hits them just right, these little birds are absolutely beautiful!

So it goes with others in the heron family, Green Herons can be found walking in shallow waters stalking fish, insects and small crustaceans.When their prey is spotted, they’ll freeze and then strike like a dart into the water piercing the prey with their bill.Interestingly, Green Herons also employ another tactic to catch a meal as they’re the only species of heron known to “bait” their prey.These clever birds will use twigs, feathers, or insects to lure a fish within reach. When the fish comes in closer to investigate the object, the bird will strike.
Truly a smart and fascinating creature IMO!

The Green Heron is found throughout the Carolinas from March to October so you’ve still got plenty of time to go see them this year.That being said, quite a few of them have been reported to spend the wintertime in our southeastern coastal counties which is pretty neat!

Photo by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5