Winter Bird

You might be suprised to learn that the central Virginia creeks are full of herons this time of year. I guess they don't migrate. I certainly have never seen a migratory flock of herons. The one I saw this morning was standing almost knee deep in a creek, still as a post and the same grey as weathered wood, bill down, staring into the cold, cold water. The creek is about 8-10 feet across, probably no more than two feet deep in a hole. I'm hard put to imagine what a 3 foot tall bird finds to eat in a small creek in December, but he knows better than I do what's in that water.

I never see them in the summer, but that's probably because it is easier to see into the creek with the leaves off the trees. Reminds me of a song Pep and I made up to honor the mountain herons. It goes like this:

Heron.
Heron.
Heron.
[pause]

Heron.
Heron.
Heron.
[pause]

Yes, it is a minimalist heron song.