ON MY MORNING WALK: The Heron Project II

ON MY MORNING WALK:

The Heron Project II

You might recall that back in February, Valentine’s Day to be exact, I had been out photographing the goldeneye and bufflehead ducks that were in abundance, spending their winter at “Walden”; and while photographing these beautiful birds along the pond’s shoreline, I happened to look up to see a male great blue heron overhead in a tree, carefully selecting sticks for a nest. This normally shy, even secretive bird allowed me to get close enough not only to watch him but to photograph him as he went about his business. Eventually, when he had selected several suitable twigs, he gathered them up and flew off across the water to where his mate was waiting, high up in a pine tree on a small island (now referred to as “Heron Island.” For me this was a real treat indeed ― a nesting pair of herons at “Walden” ― and I decided at that very moment that if it was at all possible, I would make photographing these two great birds my project for the next few months or as long as they were there.

(See “The Heron Project, Part I: https://morningwalkphoto.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-heron-project-part-1.html)

But the remainder of February and most of March was a cruel time. Nature lashed the small lake and surrounding area with several severe storms which included high winds and heavy rains and the heron nest was damaged, I thought, beyond repair. Of the birds themselves, there was no sign. When the weather improved at the end of March and into early April, work crews came to “Walden” to clean up the damage and to trim many of the trees. With all the noise and intrusion of men and equipment, I was certain that the herons had found some better, safer, quieter place to nest. I stopped looking for them and focused on the other wildlife in the area and looking for new things to photograph in other parts of the region.

  

Then, late one morning, I was walking along the edge of “Walden” when some movement caught my eye. I turned and there he was ― the male heron – walking on a fallen limb ad the edge of “Heron Island.” Looking for sticks with which to build a new nest?

As it turned out, he was looking for a sunny spot where he could unfold his wings and enjoy the warmth of coming spring, like some great, prehistoric creature.

I watched him do nothing but doze in the sun for a while and then moved on down the trail where I could took across the water to where the empty nest, built in February, stood high in a tree. There was the female heron, preening her feathers in the sun and perhaps feathering her nest as she groomed herself…we all like to feather our nests from time to time.

 But wait! Hello? What’s this? The feathers in the nest were moving!

A baby! A baby heron was poking his head up out of the nest and trying to get its mother’s attention, probably with the words, “Feed me”!

To be continued…

© 2018 by Hayato Tokugawa and the Kitty Mafia Art Worx™. All rights reserved.