Mission Accomplished

In a previous entry I mentioned having Green Herons nesting in our spruce trees and my unsuccessful attempts at photographing them. I arrived home from work the other night and noticed two of the babies sitting on a branch in plain view. Of course my camera is in the house, so I go in and get the camera only to return and see the last baby walking back into the tree out of sight. Now they are messing with me! Bring it on, birds!

After several hours of stalking (if it's even possible to "stalk" in a wheelchair) I finally spotted one of the adults walking inside a nearby pine tree towards an outer branch. Finally it moved into an area where I could get a picture just before it flew off to look for a snack. This is my first experience watching Green Herons and they are fascinating. The spruce tree they are nesting in is very large and full, making the birds very difficult to spot. Stare at the tree long enough and you will spot one walking on the inner branches. They don't hop like a typical bird, they walk slowly. It's a little odd to see something slowly creeping around in the inner shadows of the tree.

Reviewing the pictures on the camera I feel satisfied that I fnally got a decent picture. Feeling one with nature, I realize that nature is calling. I set the camera down in the grass and seek privacy behind one of the spruce trees. While enjoying the freedom only a man can enjoy, the heron returns and lands directly above me. Once again, he's messing with me! The bird quietly sits on the branch swaying in the evening breeze as I retrieve the camera. Fully expecting the nervous bird to take flight any moment and ruin opportunity number 2, I raise the camera and shoot away. The heron finally spreads its wings and retreats to the security of the massive spruce tree. Another simple backyard moment.

Of course, Sara Lee was right there to supervise and offer suggestions on stalking technique.