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| The piercing gaze of the black-crowned night heron |
I had to smile when I checked my messages from Roy this evening. We've gotten into a new routine since the purchase of the new camera. If I can't be in the marsh in person (or sometimes even if I can be), I can look forward to a quick photo recap of the day's events in my inbox.
Today's first subject, pictured above, was a bird that I saw in person with my wife and kids this morning. The funny thing about it is we're about 1,000 miles south of Erie County, Ohio in northern Florida. While we were wowed by alligators and crocs at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park (a touristy but pretty neat place, I must admit), my eyes were often distracted by the black-crowned night herons, little blue herons, roseate spoonbills, and cattle egrets nesting in an extremely busy, on-site rookery.
My son and I got an especially close look at a BCNH very similar to the one pictured above. Anderson commented on the brilliance of the bird's red eye. I pointed out that while much of Florida and the Gulf Coast is part of their home range, they are pretty common inhabitants at the marsh as well. No sooner do I say that then he points out a range map literally right below our noses. The southern range is highlighted, as is the western shoreline of Lake Erie. Pretty cool.
I look forward to showing him these photos tomorrow morning when he wakes up.
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| Add just a few leaves and a few more degrees and this could very well have been the scene we took in this morning in Florida. But these herons were simultaneously enjoying the cool breezes off of Lake Erie. |