Friday, October 21, 2011

Catching Up with the Lake Riley Heron

The Lake Riley Heron surveying his abode (10/16/11).
Last Saturday before going to get coffee, I walked up to Cobbs Hill to stretch my legs and came across the Lake Riley Heron basking in the shard of sunlight on a 4'x4' concrete pad about seven feet from shore. I had not seem him in quite a while, despite seeing herons in many other areas in the greater Rochester area (water retention ponds beside the expressway, along the banks of the Genesee River and so on), he had been absent from the park in recent weeks... at least as best I could determine.

I suppose this could be the same bird I photographed in mid-summer, an idea which is only anecdotal supported by my belief that this bird is longer, more full-bodied and, well, just "older" looking than the younger model seen at Cobbs Hill in July. In a weird sort of anthropomorphism, I suppose this bird is like a neighborhood kids senior citizens are vaguely aware of growing up and out of their parents house over the course of a lifetime. Only the heron's lifetime is much shorter and I am glad to see him (them?0 not moving out, just yet.

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