Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
p.1 #1Great 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.
What a lesson for me!
Robert
Sep 12, 2026 at 09:15 AM
p.1 #3Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
What an experience with nature Robert! That would be a bit intimating as a bird standing taller than you approached
I wonder if this bird had experienced this opportunity before with anyone else? That would make my day, week month
Karl
I wonder if this bird had experienced this opportunity before with anyone else? That would make my day, week month
Karl
Sep 12, 2026 at 03:30 PM
p.1 #4Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
What a great story. Thanks Robert. It's the memory that stays with us !
John
John
Sep 12, 2026 at 04:58 PM
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p.1 #5Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
Karl Witt wrote:
What an experience with nature Robert! That would be a bit intimating as a bird standing taller than you approached
I wonder if this bird had experienced this opportunity before with anyone else? That would make my day, week month
Karl
Exactly Karl. For several seconds, I was concerned for me.
And the question remains: Are they attracted to the water solely because it is open water, or, do they know there is a fish in that open water.
And it stared at the little piece of open water for a very long time, giving the ladies time to get my wide lens and giving me time to switch lenses.
During the time we lived in the metropolis of south Florida, many times I watched Great Blue Herons fruitlessly "hunting" the opaque pools of construction site pools with their 100% sand banks. There can't be any fish in those pools, but the GBH's do not know it.
Edited on Sep 13, 2026 at 05:09 AM · View previous versions
What an experience with nature Robert! That would be a bit intimating as a bird standing taller than you approached
I wonder if this bird had experienced this opportunity before with anyone else? That would make my day, week month
Karl
Exactly Karl. For several seconds, I was concerned for me.
And the question remains: Are they attracted to the water solely because it is open water, or, do they know there is a fish in that open water.
And it stared at the little piece of open water for a very long time, giving the ladies time to get my wide lens and giving me time to switch lenses.
During the time we lived in the metropolis of south Florida, many times I watched Great Blue Herons fruitlessly "hunting" the opaque pools of construction site pools with their 100% sand banks. There can't be any fish in those pools, but the GBH's do not know it.
Edited on Sep 13, 2026 at 05:09 AM · View previous versions
Sep 13, 2026 at 04:48 AM
p.1 #6Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
TammyB wrote:
This is awesome
Thank you Tammy
This is awesome
Thank you Tammy
Sep 13, 2026 at 05:04 AM
p.1 #7Great White Heron habituated to people - Mrzek Pond
johnohio wrote:
What a great story. Thanks Robert. It's the memory that stays with us !
John
Yes, a memorable experience. And in those days, selfies had not yet started. So glad I got the shot. Thanks John,
What a great story. Thanks Robert. It's the memory that stays with us !
John
Yes, a memorable experience. And in those days, selfies had not yet started. So glad I got the shot. Thanks John,
Sep 13, 2026 at 05:06 AM