Profiling in My Hood

Lake Riley, Cobbs Hill Park, Rochester , NY (7/9/12).

Over the past few days I have come across some old "friends" hanging out in my neighborhood. I have spent the past few summers profiling (on a very small scale) their behaviors and presence as they arrive, roost and depart from my local city neighborhood.

The above image depicts the most recent incarnation of what I annually refer to as the Lake Riley Heron. Though it is not particularly not unusual to observe blue herons in our part of New York state, they are more frequently cited in more secluded, or rural areas, such as along either the Erie Canal or Genessee River or even in some suburban backyards.

I have been intrigued by the fact that each year a single blue heron roosts somewhere in the general vicinity of the small man made lake directly off the expressway near the heart of our rather large metropolitan area. I've discerned that each year it is a new one given the bird's size (which changes) and plumage. Clearly in these images from he past few years, I can look forward to tracking and profiling (if I'm quick enough with a camera) the growth of this particular blue heron, too.

October 21, 2011
August 31, 2011
August 14, 2010

Fortunately, I've also observed over the past few years, that as the summer progresses, s/he usually becomes more comfortable around people. The photo above was taken from my car after I noticed the bird at the lake as I was exiting the expressway on my way home. Often times when I walk to the park with the intention of seeing the Lake Riley Heron, I'll return home without having had a glimpse--more frequently, it's entering onto the on ramp for the expressway that I'll note it's obvious presence at the lake. When I left my car to get a closer vantage point it flew off into the vegetation at the far end of the lake.

It's once again time to leave my camera in the car just in case I (time permitting) have to pull over quickly to snap a quick pic!