great blue heron

This winter between weather I preferred not to be out in, the need to be out in it for necessary chores like hauling water and firewood, family obligatons, and heaps of work on d-i, I mostly lost the habit of getting out and hiking around in the woods every day. That's been changing some as the weather has improved lately, and as cabin fever threatened to set in.

I followed a great blue heron home today, from down at the far end of the meadow, up the creek past the waterfall and the pond. I stayed well back, but the poor bird must not have been happy to have this human following it. They're one of my favorite birds, with many personal associations, and it was nearly magical for me.