These are a few pictures I took on my walk along the Mississippi River on about February 6th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near where I live. It was about 55 degrees, quite warm for February in Minnesota.
There are a few of these on a lake nearby my place. It looks a little like a Great Cormorant but not quite. I finally found it in Wikipedia. It’s definitely a Green Heron.
The green heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 44 cm (17 in). The neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck and underparts streaked brown and white, tan-splotched back and wing coverts, and greenish-yellow legs and bill. Hatchlings are covered in down feathers, light grey above, and white on the belly.[4][5][6]
The green heron’s call is a loud and sudden kyow; it also makes a series of more subdued kuk calls. During courtship, the male gives a raah-rahh call with wide-open bill, makes noisy wingbeats and whoom-whoom-whoom calls in flight, and sometimes calls roo-roo to the female before landing again. While sitting, an aaroo-aaroo courtship call is also given.[5][6]
I was just taking a walk in my usual place and I happened to see this big bird way up in this tree, just sitting there. First I thought it was an Osprey. They are most common around here. But then I said, No, this one’s bigger and the feathers are darker. I think it may just be a Bald Eagle. On my way back home I ran across an old man on a bench. He said, “Did you see the bald Eagle?”
Stephen Nielsen 