Statuesque Surprises-September 13, 2013
I rounded the path’s slight curve and looked to the left across the brush. Several white-like objects in a small clearing caught my eye.
They were hard to make out–maybe just my eyes playing tricks, or the day’s dim light reflecting off wet bark. Juggling the umbrella–protection from a slight drizzle–I tried to hold the camera steady long enough to snap a photo, and then enlarge the image for a closer look. What an unexpected surprise, a small flock of black-crowned night herons posed like statues standing amid the vegetation.
I love this little piece of land with its dual personality–one wet, one dry. There was more water today, bolstered by the overnight rain, which offered an enticing invitation for birds to visit.
Though there were no ibises today, there were several yellow-crowned herons, at least one green heron, as well as the tricolored heron doing its impersonation of King Kong atop the Empire State Building. A pelican flying overhead acted as a stand in for the small plane in the original black and white movie. 
All in all, it was a very active day for the little acreage.
Regrettably, I inadvertently intruded upon the courtship of a fiddler crab and his lady. In my defense, the two were in the middle of the path, and I didn’t see them until I almost stepped on them. Still, he made his displeasure known, waving his big claw at me as if scolding.
Another thing the rain revealed today was a huge wasp nest constructed knee-high in the brush.
Confidentially, between the snakes, wasp nests and thorns one is likely to encounter, you couldn’t pay me to walk through the brush. I’ll stick to the path, thank you.
Green Thought: “I want to fly like a Butterfly around this beautiful world, till the last frame of my life and the last click of my heart.” ― Biju Karakkonam Nature and Wild life Photographer
