A Christmas Story from the Herons
Many of you have read about our sadness in the birding world in So Florida when one of our beloved Great Blue Herons died in the very nest the two mates had just built. Those of us who frequent the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, some of us nearly daily, have been through the normal stages of grief over this very sad thing to occur… just as these intelligent, beautiful birds allowed us to close-up witness their breath-taking courting rituals in their beautiful breeding plumage. Then, once they “claimed” one another, the male began his regular deliveries of twigs and sticks and presented them to his female mate who determined whether they were suitable. So many round trips to and from the nest while under construction. Sometimes we would chuckle quietly as she would take a twig and gently place it here, then there, then looking at her mate those eyes must have communicated, “Honey, this one will just not suffice! Come back with something better. OK?” Absolutely, a marvelous privilege to observe this beauty of nature with two strikingly gorgeous birds nearly 4 ft. tall…and then, the sadness in realizing the mate is lying deceased in the nest. So, so sad. But, then, something else happened…the bittersweet realization that God had programmed these birds to stand by their mates even after death. Mourning? Grieving? In shock? It was their “time” to create more Great Blue Herons. But, she has laid motionless for well over a week with her loyal mate at her side. Oh, my goodness! One of our birding friends reported that when she was there visiting that he lay down next to his mate and partially laid upon her. So tender. So divinely created they are. More tears from the grieving and learning humans. We’re sure it happens all the time in the wild, but in this totally beautiful rookery where the humans stand in awe to observe, photograph, learn and give thanks for the lovely, blessed opportunity , it’s right before our eyes not more than 15-20 feet away. Front row seats, EVERY time!! I broke my own rule… “Always believe something beautiful is about to happen.” How do I let this happen to me? I KNOW that God uses all our broken pieces to make something beautiful! I KNOW that!! So, here is the beauty for today in the rookery of broken hearts. The surviving mate, after standing guard over his deceased mate in the nest they built for nearly 2 weeks, has now taken a new mate and as if we could already not be more inspired, they are building the new nest next to the original one AND they are using feathers from the deceased in the construction. So, the deceased mate will be a part of the new family-to-be. “Always believe something beautiful is about to happen!” Yes, indeed! Photo by Anne Diver ~ ...
Read MoreWhat The Zoom Doth Show
I had just picked up my Kansas daughter at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale and we headed straight for the Wakodahatchee Wetlands which I have quickly come to love visiting. There is always something new there. But, even if that were not the case, the usual residents are quite interesting enough! There are the “frequent fliers” …the herons, anhingas, egrets and cormorants nesting in the rookeries that are just amazing to watch. I’ve seen a child-size iguana, much more than I hoped for and heard alligators. I really don’t mind that I have not seen them, quite all right! After enjoying about an hour of bird-watching, which is pure joy to me, we began our trek back along the raised boardwalk traversing the marshy, wetlands enjoying the sounds and a casual look-see over the railing. “Oh, Mom, look…here’s a turtle! You know how I love turtles!” Sure enough, there was a turtle beneath the water, except for most of its head, trying to snatch a bite out of a Pond Apple floating in the wetlands. I was intrigued by both the turtle and the Pond Apple, otherwise known as Alligator Apple. Later at home, I uploaded my photos and was shocked to see the turtle had a POINTED NOSE!!! It was rather eerie looking and to me it somewhat resembled a pig snout. (I know…ewe!!) I had never seen such a thing and began to research it. The pointed-nose turtle is the Florida Soft Shell turtle which is known to be aggressive. It is reported to bite like a snapping turtle and be quite able to remove a finger! So another reason to NOT go into the water in a swamp or wetland in south Florida For me, I’ll just stick to taking photos…from above on the boardwalk is just...
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IGUANA ALERT!!!!!!!!
OK, OK, OK!!!! So, I KNOW I am birding in a marvelous wetland, so full of gorgeous waterfowl, breeding and raising their young in various stages of maturation. And, I know that part of the area is going to be W-E-T and part of it will be on L-A-N-D. Note to self: “be on the lookout for snakes because I am certain there are some out here!” OK! A those frogs I hear making that huge sound, they’re here whether I can SEE them or not! OK! “And remember, there is a FOOD CHAIN, so I might see something fairly GROSS! Still OK!!! I’m good! Lovin’ it ALL! I have walked & viewed & snapped photos for about an hour now all on a nice boardwalk built over the W-E-T part…I’m approaching an area of land where I can see we get back on another boardwalk. How PRETTY this is. I am so BLESSED to be able to be here witnessing all this beauty. I see a little duck of some sort. I’m trying to get a better view of it down in the water. I hear a man up ahead say…”pssst!” I look up and he motions for me to come to him…he has a huge, lovely camera with lenses as big as he is so I think, “He seems harmless.” So I move ahead and he points and whispers “iguana.” I lean over the railing looking near where the little duck was like the iguana might be on the railing. The man whispers a little louder, “no, THERE!!” Inside, I scream…Oh, MY HEAVENS!!!!!!!! IGUANA ALERT!!! I have never seen an iguana THAT huge! It was the size of a child…it had to have been longer that six ft. head to toe and what a B-I-G head it was. I just stood in amazement that God had created it AND that God knew just when to schedule its crossing my path. It looked like it could have eaten the man with the camera and human-size lens AND me in one...
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Being Ourselves
One of the things I enjoy so much about birding is that there is so much beauty from Creation that no one seems to feel the need put on airs, no pun intended. Take this photo of the Tri-colored Heron, for example. He is comfortable with himself in his breeding plumage that I could see him selected for walking down a designer’s platform strutting his stuff. Tall skinny legs…so he can wade in somewhat deep water, body high up but sharply focused eyes seeing through the water to potential dinner. His lengthy, knuckled toes would make a podiatrist or foot-surgeon happy for shoes would certainly cramp his style. But the size of those designer toes have purpose, to grab & hold tightly, balancing our waterfowl seeker-of-food on the move. His long, sharply pointed bill aids him in spearing or clamping down on the prize which he can deftly devour in a quick swallow or take back to the nest for the little fuzzy-headed ones waiting! Now, picture him strutting down the platform, cameras snapping as did mine, capturing the unique and colorful headgear. His entire head can go under water and with just one twist-and-shake of his head, the style is back! So, what’s all the fuss among the humans? Do we not know that God put even more time and effort in our design? Perhaps, it’s simple perspective. At any rate, I stand amazed at the beauty of the birds and their eager display of their acceptance…they are what they...
Read MoreWhat's Your Passion?
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