Moments later, the heron took a couple of very slow, cautious steps, as if playing Grandmother's Footsteps, and then pounced out of view. When we saw him again, he had a beakful of wriggling fish, which he proceeded to gulp down.
We get great blue herons (which I think are fairly close kin) around here, but I've never seen one that close. (Night herons, yes, usually immediately before they notice me and fly off, squawking.)
This is the closest I've ever been to one myself -- we see them around on various ponds from time to time, and once one flew past, following the railway line, while I was washing dishes.
Thanks! My mother said she thought that was the closest she's ever seen one, and that goes for me too.
This was at the top end of Whitely Woods or thereabouts -- on the home stretch of the Round Walk, anyway, along a path full of bikes and scooters and pushchairs.
If I'd been a bit quicker I might have caught it in the act of consumption, but I'm glad I saw it.
Our house in Virginia was on a tiny pond inhabited by herons, among other things. I was thinking they were blue herons, but they looked like your grey. We always saw one, but one day I saw three flying around. Other than that, there would be one, slowly and gracefully stalking around the pond. I'd see it hoist and swallow a wiggling fish, but never saw it stab for it. It was a nice thing to see while washing dishes.
Oooh shiny!
Date: 2011-05-03 02:07 am (UTC)Re: Oooh shiny!
Date: 2011-05-03 09:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-02 06:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-02 06:48 pm (UTC)This was at the top end of Whitely Woods or thereabouts -- on the home stretch of the Round Walk, anyway, along a path full of bikes and scooters and pushchairs.
If I'd been a bit quicker I might have caught it in the act of consumption, but I'm glad I saw it.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-02 10:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-03 09:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-02 11:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-03 09:35 am (UTC)