p.1 #1 · Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
I was seated on the dry turf at the edge of Mrázek pond, which had no standing water at this time. The entire pond was just muck. I was surprised to see this great white heron fly from the other side of the pond and land in the muck, about 20 feet away and began striding very slowly my way.
I did not immediately understand what this GW found interesting in me. The birds head and bill were significantly higher than my face. But as it got closer, I could see that it was interested in my feet (so its head was lower the closer it got to me.). Then I realized what was going on.
I thought "Try all you want but you will not find any fish here." As I had rested my boots into the muck there was not an iota of surface water. But immediately a small pool of water formed, created by my boots entering the muck. This bird wasn't gonna be able to catch any fish there.
By now, the GWH was very close and I could barely hear a couple of curious/quiet ladies behind me. I very slowly turned my upper body and quietly asked if one of them would fetch my wide-angle lens from the van. As I slowly switched to the wide angle, the GW did not pay any attention to what I was doing.
And then. it plunged its big bill into the tiny pool formed by my feet and pulled out a species of Sculpin of 4-5 inches length and. it turned and flew a short ways with it.
