It's a great blue heron standing by our pond. This heron is smaller than other heron's that have visited our pond, I wonder if it is young and/or female.
Herons visit our yard many times each summer and it isn't unusual for one to stay 10 - 20 minutes. The herons fish for koi in the pond but they are not very successful because the fish hide in rocks we have built into the pond to protect them from the herons.
There is a forest preserve, about a mile from our home where hundreds of heron nest. It's a treat to see the heron outside my kitchen window.
The pictures are about a month old, I just uploaded them to my computer, the pond is now covered in fall colors.
Elise
