THE BLUE AND PURPLE BIRD THEY CALL GREEN

GIFFORD PINCHOT LAKE

When this bird landed nearby and waited for me to take a picture, I thought it was a "loon". I've seen loons at the lake before, but not this colorful. 

However, we looked it up in our "Ollie's Bird Book" and determined it was a "Green Heron". Based on all of the information we gathered, it looks like we were right. But now I am really confused. Why would they call a Blue and Purple bird a Green Heron?

Here's one description, "Compared with most herons, Green Herons are short and stocky, with relatively short legs and thick necks that are often drawn up against their bodies." OK, he does fit that description. "Green Herons stand motionless at the water’s edge as they hunt for fish. They typically stand on something solid, and they don’t wade as often as larger herons." Sounds right again. 

"From a distance Green Herons look all dark." I took this picture a few months ago, thinking it was a Loon. Now I'm not sure if it was a Loon or Green Heron. In better light The Green Heron is deep green on the back with a rich chestnut breast and neck. The wings are dark gray. Juveniles are brown, with pale streaking on the neck and spots on the wings." This is getting complicated.

"In flight these compact herons can look ungainly, often partially un-crooking their necks to give a front-heavy appearance." Correct again. His flight looked silly. 

So, about the only thing I am sure of after all of this looney information is that my favorite bird at the lake is still The Blue Heron. And he is blue.