On his own island paradise, complete with snacks, a Great Blue Heron was drifting down the canal at the edge of the old rice fields.
The shrimp were to his liking.
The island clump was moving just fast enough to make me dizzy looking through the view finder.
The Heron paced back and forth a few times and settled on some smaller catches, barely seen hanging from his mouth here.
He left paradise as it rounded a turn, but the fishing must have been good off its shores as he returned just a few minutes later.
Wonderful contrast and detail. I’m curious about these floating islands that both you and Ted have mentioned.
Thank you! These clumps of reeds and weeds somehow start growing on top of the water and don’t put roots down into the ground. Mats of prior years’ reed stalks may be the base. The water in my picture flows towards a release from the pond out into the river and the smaller clumps drift along with the water and get pushed by the wind. This was the first time I’ve seen a wading bird ride along on one like this!
I’m not sure how the larger ones get larger or why some of them seem to get attached and never move. Hurricane Irma that just moved through here blew lots of the larger pieces into a corner and up over the trail, maybe an acre’s worth. The canal around the perimeter is now rearranged. To put it in perspective it is about a two mile walk around this body of water. I have no idea how deep it is.
Long explanation, I hope it makes sense.
Thank you, it does! How amazing to see a heron sailing by on one of these islands😊
Lovely set, Ellen.
Thank you, Michael.