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Sep 18
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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

Hey thanks, Kristin! Absolutely! Neil is an wonderful naturalist!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thatnks Nurse Kristin and much appreciated!

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Ann Collins's avatar

A true reverence for these birds is coming through in your images and your poetry, Neil. I love the video of the flowered pathway too.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Ann. That flowered path revealed a nice surprise seeing those herons.

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Peter J. Ryan Sabom Nim's avatar

Reeds rust & green,

kingfisher seen, and without a word,

wind rustles the dream of a silent bird;

then of two and then three

on a silent, flightless path

with morning and me.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Excellent imagery and descriptions, Peter. I like this line: "wind rustles the dream of a silent bird."

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janoskar.hansen@gmail.com's avatar

These was wonderful pictures and video

like being there myself

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you Jansokar and much appreciated.

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James Freitas's avatar

Your images perfectly capture the nature of herons. They might seem still, but always in some way active, in motion. The word that comes to mind is brimming—they are brimming with something, I can’t put a word to what exactly. Great writing and photography Neil.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks James. That's a great word: brimming. You can take sense that observing herons. There is that lightning fast reaction just brimming below the calm surface.

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Emma Liles's avatar

“Were the herons truly hidden if my heart and mind were one” I enjoy this question, and the spaciousness of the wordless answer.

Green herons! Really nice photographs. There is or that I sometimes see on the river while kayaking, but unlike the blue herons it flies away much more quickly so I had yet to see it truly up close.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Emma. The Green Herons are a great to see. They seem to prefer to remain still as well. The hardest part for me is actually seeing them! They have really great camouflage.

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

Fabulous photos Neil! I love this line from your Sijo: "Movement and colours reveal themselves for those with eyes to see."

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Pamela! I was really lucky that day encountering them so closely and for so long

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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

This is a wonderful and immersive article, Neil. The poetry, video, photos and writing, including the vocabulary in Korean, all support our experience of going on this nature walk with you, from the sunflowers to the discovery and observations of the herons. It is a kind of translation. I hope you’ll see a Black-crowned night heron soon and be able to share that with us as well.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Heidi and much appreciated. It's interesting because those sunflowers are what led me to look further at the pond on my return trip the following week. I will be keeping an eye out for the Black-crowned Night Heron on my next hike this weekend!

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Michael's avatar

Excellent Sijo! Hidden and not hidden, one and not one? Striking into the water!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks Michael and very much appreciated!

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