Georgous surprise!

I went to the Gallup Walmart, and after picking a parking spot, I noticed the following bird wading in the water and grass in a drainage ditch.  I grabbed my camera and got these shots of this beautiful juvenile green heron!

When I first saw him, the fellow was thinking of hiding in the grass.

He really looked like he wanted to hide, but his instincts tell him that stillness and his coloring camouflages him better than the movement of running and hiding.

I had a great time looking in my bird reference books, to double check my memories.  The maps in my Sibley's Guide to Birds,  suggests that he is migrating through this area.

Notice that his legs are yellowish colored.  When he is fully adult the yellow will be more orange.

He will always have a very short tail, and an old boyfriend of mine used to call him the "no-ass-a-tol" bird!

Thanks for enjoying with me!