I think the Snowy Egrets are my favorite pond bird. The first one showed up in the last week of April, and another came a few days later. I love to watch them fish - slowly stalking around the pond's perimeter, suddenly freezing with neck outstretched, then the lightning-quick SPLASH, and another minnow or tadpole is added to the dinner tally.
I feel a little bad choosing a favorite pond bird, though. The ducks are fun to watch. The males chase each other or one of the females, quacking and complaining the whole time. The green herons are still exciting to see, but they're so elusive that it takes some work to spot one. The kingfishers are neat, chattering and diving for their meal. Blue herons drop by a few times a week but they're just visitors, not permanent residents. Canada geese - no, I could do without them. They're loud, mean and aggressive, and they mess up the early-spring yard with their droppings. Thankfully, they leave when the brush and grass around the pond grows tall.
Yes, I think I like the egrets best, but don't tell our other fair-weather residents - they're all fascinating in their own way.
My personal favorite when in WA was the Great Blue Heron. I always thought that they looked like grumpy old men.
Posted by: Joyce LaGow | May 09, 2008 at 03:46 PM
Joyce: I love the blue herons, too. They visit our pond, but don't live there all summer. We probably have 1-2 blue herons about once a week or so. And they are like grumpy old men - even their "cack" vocalization sounds phlegmy!
Posted by: Tracy | May 10, 2008 at 12:20 PM
I'd love to live near a pond that had so many different birds around it, like egrets. I think, though, that I'd lose hours everyday just watching them.
Posted by: Carol, May Dreams Gardens | May 14, 2008 at 08:29 PM
We have had one egret in the back yard by our creek for the last couple years and we love to watch him fish. I have not ever seen more than one as it would be exciting to see a family.
Cheers,
Mark
Posted by: Mark1 | July 09, 2008 at 11:09 PM