Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Egrets hunting

Several egrets appear to have constructed nests along the Beaver River that runs through the valley 
below my home.  Nearing the river yesterday just before the bridge, I saw the one in the top photograph
 hunting. As I looked more closely I saw another. However when I got out of my car, the furthest one flew 
away and I missed the photo of it in flight.

I went onto the bridge and caught the second photo and was amazed to see a number of egrets
 further along behind the one in the forefront.

I missed shots of a great blue heron and another bird which looked like a cormorant but was blue backed - the light perhaps shining off its feathers?

What I noticed most though was the quiet and the peace. The river flowed quickly in the centre, current readily visible, but except for the occasional call of a bird, a couple of grackles - one feeding another possibly a youngster on a log at the river's edge,  there was quiet. I could have been a million miles from civilization. The swamp takes on an eerie look in mid-summer with algae collecting at the edges but it was the peace, the feeling of being part of something very special that will stay with me for a long time.







2 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place for birding! Nice sightings of the egrets.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Eileen - it is a fabulous place - I'm hoping my kids will go with me in a canoe some time - it would be such a treat. There is an 93 year old gal whose son (a biologist) takes her down the river every year for her birthday and helps her see 100 birds for mother's day... something hmmm?

    ReplyDelete