Those great blue herons are special. I've only seen them in the wild a couple times. Once in AZ hiking along the Hassayampa we happened to see one stalking fish. We watched him for many minutes, but he was so intent on catching dinner, he paid no attention to us.
The other time was not so happy. I was dropping off an injured calif gnatcatcher to our local wildlife recovery lady. She cared for most of the injured animals right there in her house & yard, and as I'd arrived at dinnertime, I helped her feed some of them. As I went to leave she asked if I'd like to see a great blue heron who was just brought in that morning. How could I pass that up? He'd been gunshot by kids at a reservoir and brought to her. She had him in his own bedroom. She said he was still heavily sedated from his surgery a few hours prior. As she slowly opened the bdrm door, I looked over her shoulder and saw him laying stretched out on a couch. He'd heard the door & raised his head to fix us both with a piercing stare. Then he started to move a little too much, so I backed off while the bird lady went in & rearranged him on his stretcher. It was an eerie experience. He looked so pitiful. When I checked back a week or so later, she said it had been touch'n'go with infections but he was expected to recover & probably released in a preserve. I still don't understand what would've made kids shoot at a heron.
ps you are so lucky to live where there is such a diversity of life! all I've seen today are blue-collared lizards doing push-ups on a block wall, a couple morning doves checking out our yard fountain, a crow being chased by a smaller bird, and some stink bugs!
I always consider it a treat to see these beautiful, magnificant birds..... they are kind of like pink flamingos.... only beautiful shades of blue. They have a huge wingspan & often are focused on fishing, but like to perch on a log in the water & meditate?
Yea, well the river trail is a beautiful place in the daytime......
Blue Herons love the river trail
4 comments:
ph how I love the herons...and miss them...thank you for this post...
Those great blue herons are special. I've only seen them in the wild a couple times. Once in AZ hiking along the Hassayampa we happened to see one stalking fish. We watched him for many minutes, but he was so intent on catching dinner, he paid no attention to us.
The other time was not so happy. I was dropping off an injured calif gnatcatcher to our local wildlife recovery lady. She cared for most of the injured animals right there in her house & yard, and as I'd arrived at dinnertime, I helped her feed some of them. As I went to leave she asked if I'd like to see a great blue heron who was just brought in that morning. How could I pass that up? He'd been gunshot by kids at a reservoir and brought to her. She had him in his own bedroom. She said he was still heavily sedated from his surgery a few hours prior. As she slowly opened the bdrm door, I looked over her shoulder and saw him laying stretched out on a couch. He'd heard the door & raised his head to fix us both with a piercing stare. Then he started to move a little too much, so I backed off while the bird lady went in & rearranged him on his stretcher. It was an eerie experience. He looked so pitiful. When I checked back a week or so later, she said it had been touch'n'go with infections but he was expected to recover & probably released in a preserve. I still don't understand what would've made kids shoot at a heron.
ps you are so lucky to live where there is such a diversity of life! all I've seen today are blue-collared lizards doing push-ups on a block wall, a couple morning doves checking out our yard fountain, a crow being chased by a smaller bird, and some stink bugs!
I always consider it a treat to see these beautiful, magnificant birds..... they are kind of like pink flamingos.... only beautiful shades of blue.
They have a huge wingspan & often are focused on fishing, but like to perch on a log in the water & meditate?
Yea, well the river trail is a beautiful place in the daytime......
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