More Herons, More Eastons

On September 3, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Turtles, Wildlife Photography

Edit – I originally identified one of the birds as a green heron. I’ve gotten a couple emails saying it is a juvenile black-crowned night heron. I’ve updated the captions. Thanks for the correction.

Two recent mornings found me on the Eastons’ pond and two evenings found me visiting the herons. The Easton chicks should be trying to fly by now, maybe even flying. I’ve yet to catch them in the act. The herons provided either feast or famine.

I’m getting ready for the Vermont North By Hand Open Studio Tour, October 10 & 11. Artists around the Upper Valley will be opening their studios and showing their work. Since I don’t have a studio, I’ll be at the Martin Farm. It doesn’t yet show on the online map, it is right on the Bradford-Fairlee town line on Route 5. Sue Martin will be showing her stained glass and Carole Kitchel Bellew will have her stoneware at the Farm as well.

Fall had arrived when I made it to the Eastons’ pond on the 29th. When I got to the pond, it was still above the fog. A brisk 46° when I put in had me digging out a sweatshirt. Mom was tending the chicks. Dad was off the pond somewhere to start the morning. The chicks were off on their own – they’re old enough to take care of themselves. The otters were feeding and romping along the shore. They disappeared before the sun came up.

One of the chicks cruised by to say hello.

He’s reaching back to get some preen oil from the uropygial gland near the base of his tail. He’ll spread the oil over all his feathers to keep them waterproof.

Finished preening, he gives a nice stretch.

And another stretch. I lost track of which chick was which, but I’m sure this is one of them.

That evening, I headed down to the river to see if I could catch the heron in action.

This painted turtle was out basking about 18″ above the water. Guess he liked the view.

And this pair of painted turtles watched me while I waited for the heron to show himself. Every so often, they’d bob their heads like they were laughing at some turtle joke. They reminded me of Statler and Waldorf – the two grumpy old men Muppets that heckled from the balcony. They had the last laugh, the heron stayed behind the brush all evening.

The next morning found me back on the Eastons’ pond. It was once again in the high 40s when I put in. The hill to the west of the pond has turned slightly rusty and there were a couple trees around the pond that have already turned. Once again, the otters were playing along the shore, but didn’t stick around for photos. Both loon parents were on the pond, but trying to leave the chicks to fend for themselves. They succeeded for a time.

One of the chicks came around a corner on the shore and spotted the otters playing on and around some rocks. The chick headed away at a good clip. Swim away! Swim away! Otters! Swim for your life!

The chicks were both foraging independently. They were covering a lot of distance underwater when they went down. One would appear in the neighborhood of my boat. Then dive a couple times staying in the neighborhood before diving and disappearing. This one took time to stretch as the first light hit the pond.

Here comes one of the chicks along the shore. You can see there’s some yellow and red in the leaves behind him.

He must have seen me watching, he took time to show off with a nice stretch. You can see his flight feathers nicely along the bottom of his wings. I was hoping to catch them trying to fly, but it wasn’t on their schedule for the morning.

The other chick preening and cleaning the feathers on his belly.

Followed by a good shake of his head, which sent water drops flying.

And he too stretched nicely. Again, you can see the flight feathers have grown in nicely along the bottom of his wing. Preening and stretching complete, it was time to find some breakfast.

The chicks were spared having to find their own food when Mom appeared. The chicks are old enough now that they really hound the parents. They’ll nip at a parent—around the face and neck if they can reach them, or at whichever feathers are closest. The parents will surface, quickly toss the food in the direction of the chick and dive again to avoid being pinched. This chick has spotted Mom with a meal and is kicking up a pretty good wake as he closes in on Mom.

After Mom provided several meals for each chick, she tried to preen. But the chicks weren’t convinced that breakfast was over and were following and pinching her.

Mom just handed off a meal to this chick and is trying to go about her business. The chick is close behind, just in case she forgot he exists.

I waited a time after the wind picked up. Neither chick showed an inclination to try flying so I headed in.

That evening I headed back to the river to see if the green heron would cooperate this time.

A few feet south of the heron’s favorite downed tree perch, I found the great egret had returned. I stopped to get some shots of him.

After a couple minutes I looked for the green heron and found this black-crowned night heron strutting his stuff along the shore.

He stopped to look and listen for a meal.

Something caught his attention and he started stalking it. He was working his way down the shore towards the egret.

The egret was settled on his perch. The egret was tracking the heron, the heron hadn’t spotted him yet.

Ahoy mate! What are you doing here? The heron came around some brush and found the egret.

The heron studied the situation for a moment before deciding to play through.

The black-crowned night heron took up position not far from his favorite tree to see what else the smorgasbord had to offer.

Hearing a splash, I turned around to find Hank himself foraging behind me. He was unsatisfied with the service and promptly moved on. A couple minutes later, the green heron agreed and flew off in the opposite direction. The egret moved to a perch with a branch right in front of him. There was a thick cloud just above the horizon. When the sun went behind that, I figured I was done for the evening and decided to head in.

There’s one channel out of the marsh back to the main river. As I came through the cattails, I found the black-crowned night heron foraging on a sandbar (Are there mudbars? That would be more accurate.) He was only a few feet from where I came out of the reeds. I figured there was no way not to flush him. He looked up briefly, decided I was boring and went back to foraging.

He caught a little fish – barely visible in the air in front of him. I have no idea why he spit it out. But that was one lucky fish.

Working along the shallows, he soon was able to catch a stick. The stick proved not to be to his liking and he gave it a good thrashing before tossing it.

A little further along, he nabbed another stick. This one also displeased him and it, too, was thrashed.

The little branches sticking up on this stick were also in for a thrashing. This guy was tough on them all. But, to be fair, the sticks had it coming.

Through with the sticks, it looked like it was to be my turn for a thrashing……

He walked towards me and hopped up on a log in the mud – too close for my lens to focus. Fortunately, I had a shorter lens with me.

He spent some time trying to grab dragonflies out of the air.

And some time debating if he could nab me……

Luckily for me, he decided he was in the mood for seafood.

The sun was dipping below the hills to the west; I’d fed the mosquitoes their fill; it was time to head home.

Have a happy Labor Day!

great blue heron, great egret, green heron, herons, painted turtle, turtles

More Easton Kerfuffles, Hank and His Neighbors

On August 27, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Raccoon, Turtles, Wildlife Photography

The Eastons have a very productive territory – the loons on the pond have been very successful at fledging chicks. Other loons in the area have taken note. And want to take the territory over. Mrs. E has been fighting off an intruder that has repeatedly come in to try to force her off the pond. My previous visit found a male intruder also interested in the territory. I made it up to check on them last Friday. And I’ve made several trips to the Waits River to see what Hank Heron, et al, have been up to.

The Vermont Handcrafters have an exhibit opening at Court Street Arts in Haverhill, NH on Friday, August 28. The reception is from 5 to 8 pm at Court Street Arts (Alumni Hall). We’re getting ready for our Open Studio Tour over Columbus Day Weekend, October 10 & 11, 2026. I’ll have a couple pieces at Court Street Arts and will be set up at the Martin Farm right on the Bradford – Fairlee line for the open tour. Sue Martin, who creates beautiful stained glass is kindly letting me have space near her studio. Stop by to check us out.

Friday morning was a beautiful, if chilly morning. It was 48° when I put the boat in. I kinda wished I’d thought to bring a sweatshirt. The Eastons were feeding the chicks when I arrived before sunup. After watching a bit, Mr. E alerted to something. He lowered himself in the water and headed out stalking something.

After a moment, I spotted a quartet of otters frolicking while they foraged. Otters are threats to the chicks and possibly the adults too. The Easton parents headed up the pond to encourage the otters to go away.

Just as the otters were convinced that they wouldn’t have any peace in the neighborhood, an intruder flew in.

Mr. Easton quickly took out after the intruder.

He passed close by my boat on his way to deliver a whooping.

After a brief round of wing rowing, the intruder departed. Mr. E took time for a victory stretch.

But the excitement wasn’t done. Within a couple minutes, the female intruder arrived. Mrs. E had to go after her. On a couple of my previous visits, Mrs. E seemed overmatched. The intruder was able to deliver several hits with her wing. But Mrs. E is still winning the war – she hasn’t been forced off the pond.

Another shot of Mrs. E going after the intruder.

Friday evening, I went down to the Waits to see if I could get the herons without all the fog. I paddled downstream. As soon as I passed under the railroad, there were great blue herons flying everywhere.

As he disappeared around some brush, another great blue heron came low upstream.

And after a moment, another heron crossed the river ahead of me.

When the skies cleared, I took some time to get shots of a handful of least sandpipers foraging on the bank.

There’s been a green heron foraging on the east side of the marsh for several evenings. I went to see if he might be around. He was on station, but refused to come out in the open. Herons can be like that.

There were several painted turtles taking advantage of the beautiful afternoon.

I went back Tuesday evening. The sky was clear of herons on my way downstream. After some looking, I found the green heron in the shadows under a tree. I settled in to wait for him to come out closer to the water – and hopefully into the light. He headed inland. After a few minutes, the heron and a wood duck hen I hadn’t seen both squawked and came hustling out of the brush. My guess was they’d surprised each other moving around.