I had two heron sightings—a day apart this past week. One was the black-crowned night-heron (aka: black-capped night-heron), a medium-sized heron that I spotted in the marsh beds at the Los Gatos County Park while on a bike ride. They don’t fit the typical body form of the heron family. They are relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks than their familiar cousins, the white egrets and larger “day” herons. These birds like their tall and bigger herons stand still at the water’s edge and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night or early morning.
I spotted the larger great blue heron while walking Jason’s dog Daisy around the lake near our townhome in Los Gatos. The first encounter had been unexpected. It was hidden from sight when I heard the flapping of its’ wings, as it quickly took flight to the other side of the lake. At first, I saw it as a missed opportunity to photograph it. I then decided to follow it where it had landed about a few hundred feet away. Daisy and I walked on a small path close to the water’s edge behind a large section of reeds without being seen or heard. I first took some still shots, and based on previous experiences, prepared myself to photograph it when it took flight, which it did as Daisy and I inched closer. The great blue heron is the largest heron native to North America. Its wingspan ranges between 66-79 inches.
Postscript: All across various traditions, the blue heron has been known as a spiritually gifted animal that brings deep wisdom from the gods to man, while the black crowned night-heron is associated with solitude, self-reflection, resilience, grace and inner strength.
