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| Feathers Flared for Landing, Golden Gate Park |
I suspect this is the same great blue heron I recently photographed catching a gopher in practically the same place (just south of the Polo Field). I watched it fly in, then land, only to be frightened into a nearby tree by a guy and his dog. I got the shot above when the heron flew down from the tree.
The heron picked up on a noise pretty quickly, and I waited quite a while to see what would happen. Despite stalking two different noises, it never plunged in. I wondered if the noises had been made by mice rather than gophers. Mice are speedy and travel from hiding place to hiding place, whereas gophers often pop their heads up in exactly the same place, making them both easier to catch, and a more substantial meal.
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| Above the Dog |
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| The heron was looking toward a noise on the right when it suddenly heard a better noise to its left. |
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