Green Heron

Thanks for all of the comments. I had heard these were in my area but never got up close to one. Just the body is a bit smaller than a snowy egret. Legs and neck are shorter. The boom catches trash and is strung across a creek that flows to SF Bay.

This is definitely a Green Heron adult.

I question whether it is a green heron, does not have the characteristics I know. But there is no bird in my book (eastern birds) that come close. I wish Mitch or someone else would check it.

Thanks again Nicole for the link .

you are right nicole it is a green heron
and there are a lot of birds whose look and color dont match their names

I'm only going by online Info & the experience of colour distortion on my own photos ;-)
But from what I've seen, this is a male Green Heron (but I'm open for discussion :D).
A good place to find birds or get birds ID-ed (if all else fails here) is over at Birdforum: http://www.birdforum.net/forum.php
They often ID even the 'brown blotch in the brown fields' :)

Thanks for the info Nicole. I saw a BLue Heron recently but since he is immature he is totally white.

I think it's a male, it's just a bit of digital colour distortion here.
Imagine the whole photo a tad darker.

this then could be a juvenile? or female?

Had to look it up on the wiki article:

"Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue"

I gave up a long time ago to ponder why some birds have certain names :D

Is there any reason it is called green heron? i don't see any green in it!

Nice catch!

This is an unusual spotting!! Is this bird coastal? Is the size as is?