In the small community of Port Royal, South Carolina there is a pond in the middle of town . Herons, egrets, Wood Storks and Anhinga nest there. A nice boardwalk and sidewalk around the pond provide easy access and a great platform to view and photograph the waders. I went there specifically for Green Herons.

From April through July, Green Herons begin the quiet work of building their nests. The nest site is usually in a tree or shrub overhanging water, but sometimes in a more urban setting a good distance from water. The nest resembles a typical wading bird nest which is a loose platform nest of small sticks and sometimes grasses.

Females usually lay 3 to 5 pale blue eggs, which both parents take turns incubating. After about three weeks, the chicks hatch—weak, blind, and dependent. Within another three weeks, they’ll start to fledge and make their first cautious steps into the world.

Most of the Green Herons were in the shrubs or hunting for food. And most were obscured by vegetation, which is common for the species. These two went out on a limb and put on a show for a few minutes.