Great Blue Heron: "Watching the World Watch You"
How would you know your life is a dream?
(Great Blue Heron - photo by Neil Barker)
Standing still watching the world, is the world now watching you stand?
Your eyes and mind take it all in, the sights and sounds reflect all.
Is this real or maybe a dream, only you can truly know.
I took this photo from mid October 2023 here in the Ottawa area. I knew this Great Blue Heron would likely be in the general area because I had seen this one nearby several times the past few weeks.
This heron had been hunting for food when I had approached the shore. The heron then flew about 50 feet away across the water to this tree and began preening.
I was fortunate to find a tree stump to use as a stand and began taking photos. Luckily, I captured this photo after the heron had paused in preening and a breeze lifted some of the feathers.
I have spent a lot of time in 2023 watching and photographing Great Blue Herons in the area. They are a bird that I had taken for granted until this year. I have gained a new appreciation for their quiet and stoic mannerisms.
Sijo Notes: In this sijo, I went a little deeper than the format of 15 syllables per line. I used a more specific syllable count for each part of each line. In the first line, I followed the traditional format of 3-4-4-4 (15) syllables. In the second line I used the same traditional format of 3-4-4-4 (15) syllables. In the final line I used a 3-5-4-3 syllable count.
Bird Notes:
Not a Picky Eater: The Great Blue Heron will eat whatever it can catch with its formidable bill: fish, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds — especially ducklings. It usually forages alone, locating food by sight. Once a Great Blue Heron spots a meal, it strikes quickly, straightening its long, powerful neck and grabbing its quarry with its spear-like bill, then swallowing it whole. Excellent night vision allows this versatile wading bird to hunt in darkness as well as in daylight.
Great Blue Heron (American Bird Conservancy)
Great shot of the heron. They are easy to take for granted, though I don’t understand why when they are such beautiful birds.