The Heron

 I had taken a run to the library to pick up some books that I had ordered and on the way home, I drove past the section of Pine Creek that parallels Bryant Road.  Since I had some new books to read, I pulled over and opened one up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two large birds take flight from the stream below me.  Turning I saw a couple beautiful herons flying away from me. Smiling, I returned to my book.

    After a chapter or two I decided to take a stroll on the path alongside the stream. I went in the direction that the herons had headed. I brought my camera with a telephoto lens attached, just in case!  It was a nice warm, sunny day, a perfect day for a walk. I followed the RR tracks for a while and then moved closer to the stream to see if I could locate them. As soon as I approached the bank, a heron took off, going further upstream. I slowly followed only to scare the second bird into flight.

     The first bird joined it and they headed back down towards where they had originally been. This time though, a third heron joined them. I don’t recall ever seeing three herons here before; they normally tend to hunt alone. I turned around and followed.

    I passed a fisherman on the way. A brief hello and I continued on, going from the bank to the path above the water line and back again. I figured the heron was either in the water or on a tree branch. Scanning both as I walked, I was careful not to slip in the mud or trip on any of the roots or branches which lay in my path.

    In a tree, directly overhead, he squawked and flew further downstream. I hadn’t seen him but he sure saw me. His call was loud and being right above my head, rather frightening. It sounded guttural; it didn’t match the beauty of the bird. I tried to see where he landed and tried to keep him in sight as I crept forward. 

    Moving beneath a low lying branch, I spotted him. A Great Blue Heron, what a spectacular looking bird! I’m pretty sure it was a male; they often have a bit of plumage on top of their head. When the breeze blew, I could see it ruffle along with the long, beautiful feathers on his chest. I know he saw me; herons are very smart birds and have very good eyesight. I figured he would fly away as I neared him so I continued to take pictures on the way. He chose to ignore me. I eventually moved into a clearing across the stream, he acted as if I wasn’t there. 

    Eventually, after getting more pictures than I needed, I turned to continue on the path and he gathered his wings and dropped off his perch and flew back upstream. I followed the path until it met up with the RR tracks and then returned back to the car.

    Surprise, surprise, the heron had flown to a spot in the stream directly below my car. Of course, he heard me long before I saw him. I caught him as he flew over to an old bridge abutment. Standing on it he posed for me.

    I kept taking pictures as I neared him and once again, he ignored me. I got to the bridge pier across the stream from him and other than looking at me once or twice; he acted as if I wasn’t there. 

    I’d taken enough shots of him so I just sat down on the cement and watched for a couple minutes. These birds can stand over 4 feet tall yet weigh only 5 or 6 pounds. He kept looking at the stream, often not moving for a minute or two. His chest was facing me, giving me a good look at the long flowing feathers there.

    Getting up, I said “I’m leaving now, thanks for the shots.” Almost as if he knew what I was saying he spread his wings and flew back towards where the car was parked. After a couple more shots of him in the grass beside the creek, I went to get into my car.

    Opening the door, I saw him fly across the field, heading further upstream. Our time together was over.

    Driving back home I was thinking about my experience. I have seen herons many times and almost every time I saw them, they flew away. I’ve gotten shots of them catching and eating fish, but they were taken from across a lake. They have a way of flying away right as I bring the camera up to shoot. I don’t know why this one put up with me but I was glad he did. Maybe he was keeping me away from the two other herons I saw, maybe they were just fledglings? Whatever the case may be, I treasure the experience. It’s things like this, these little bits of excitement, these little glimpses of how wildlife looks and acts, up close, that make me happy to be alive and sharing their world!