It felt good to be out, after a killer few days, walking in Forest Park. I strolled on(thanks to two fractured big toes,and a sprained ankle, my walking is only strolling these days) towards the Prairie area, and the stream.

I was amply rewarded by this

GREEN HERON

fishing in the waters of the stream; I saw it sitting there, in an attentive pose: Then, as the fish was sighted,there was this flurry of fishing: The fish was well-caught: The Wiki entry says the Green Heron, (Butorides virescens), is "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." Such beautiful colours, named just as a bland "Green"! "Green Herons are intolerant of other birds when feeding," says the Wiki, but this Heron I saw was right next to three Mallards, and seemed pretty tolerant of their presence. One of the amazing facts about these birds, is that "sometimes they drop food, insects, or other small objects on the water's surface to attract fish, making them one of the few known tool-using species. This feeding method has led some to title the green and closely related Striated Heron as among the world's most intelligent birds."

I left this intelligent bird to the rest of its breakfast, and walked to see what other delights Forest Park had for me…and as usual, Forest Park did not disappoint me!