Beautiful Great Blue Heron Sweet, Tender Moment and Fly-on-the-Wall

Great Blue Heron Profile – babsjeheeon

She’s gathered up all the time in the world
– nothing else – and waits for scanty trophies,
complete in herself as a heron.

Denise Levertov,
Sands of the Well

Mid-week afternoons in August are good at the lake. Many people are at work and many others go away on vacation the last 10 days of August, so I had the waters almost to myself.

I rounded a bend and unexpectedly came upon a man in a green canoe with the name Puffin stenciled on the side in white. He was sitting in the stern with his young son tucked against him, holding the boy with one arm, paddling with the other.

The boy was about 2 or 3, and beaming with happiness in his nice, bright yellow pfd.

Their canoe was perpendicular to the shore, and the little boy’s hand was pointing to the bank, his eyes so wide.

My eyes followed his finger … to a Great Blue Heron.

The Heron flew off, the canoe glided off, and I paddled on my way.

About half an hour later the green canoe returned, gliding up behind my yellow kayak, and then alongside me, so soundlessly I was unaware of their approach until they had overtaken me.

But the Heron on the shore had seen them — his posture straightened, head perked up, a subtle shift in his stance as though about to brace for flight.

The green canoe just glided by, very very slowly, and when closest to the bird, the toddler jutted out out his hand and waved at the Heron. “Bye Heron,” said the boy.

And so the father waved, too.

“Bye Heron,” said the man.

Then they were gone.

It was a tender, sweet encounter with the toddler in the green canoe. At any moment, he could have jumped up and squealed and clapped his hands in delight – all perfectly normal for a two-year-old. The spell thus broken, though, the Heron would have flushed in alarm.

But the toddler didn’t.

And the Heron stayed with me in the cove that day.
.
.
The cove is a mere finger of water, pointing to the east, bounded by tall pines and oaks and an occasional maple. As the season shifts into Autumn, the sun spreads her gold very narrowly, illuminating the full swath of water only at certain times of day. By October, the Great Blue Herons all work a similar circuit as they follow the sun in the cove.

In the top photo of this post, the Heron stands on a dock shrouded in shadow. The sun blazes on the far shore, but only teases the Heron across the way, illuminating just her head.

As they follow the sun, I follow the Herons.
.
.

Great Blue Heron Back-lit by Golden Hour Light – babsjeheron

.
This post is prompted by Cee and Debhie and Paula and the creative and inspiring Lens Artists Tina, Amy, Patti, and Leya, all of whom encourage the community of photographers and writers. This week, the Lens Artists focus on gorgeous photos with the theme of It’s All About the Light.

The two photos above in this post reveal lighting with different qualities – elusive autumn light and Golden Hour back-lighting. This next photo shows artificial lighting bathing gallery walls at Mass Audubon for my one-woman show. Be a fly on the wall! Please CLICK HERE to see the Herons and Egrets .

MASS Audubon One-Woman Show July 2009

.

Thanks to Cee for her CMMC: Two M’s The word ‘Moment’ in the post title has two m’s.
.

Thanks to Debbie for her Six Word Saturday . This post title has the requisite six words!
.

Thanks to Paula for her Thursdays Special: Pick a Word in August: Solitary. The Great Blue Herons show above are solitary beings when not at a rookery or in breeding season.
.
.

From Patti Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 162: About the Light .
.

From Tina Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 162: About the Light .
.

From Amy Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 162: About the Light .

.
From Leya Lens Artists Weekly Photo Challenge 162: About the Light .
.

.

Folks, now that some areas are opening back up, please consider supporting your local Arts communities – whether music, theater, crafts, visual arts venues, and others. All have been impacted over the past year and they need your love.

My brick & mortar presence in Massachusetts dates back to 2009 in several local venues/galleries.

TCAN – The Center for Arts Natick
.
Natick Town Hall
.
Five Crows Gallery in Natick
,
Audubon Sanctuary
.

Be a fly on the wall! Please CLICK HERE to see the Herons and Egrets .
.

.

Remember: Walk softly and carry a long lens.™

May the Muse be with you.™

The Tao of Feathers™

© 2003-2021 Babsje. (https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com)

Great Blue Heron, Kayaking, TCAN, Five Crows, Natick