While photographing the George Mason University Center for the Arts in Fairfax today, I took a walk around the gorgeous pond that helps frame the center.

Sights around the pond included ducks, blue herons, Canadian geese, turtles and this little fella shown above.

The bird was a little timid but I hung in there and was able get fairly close for the photo above.

My wife who is an experienced birder, identified it as a green heron.

It is remarkable to me that in a busy built up campus such as GMU, one can find this exquisite slice of nature.