I agree completely and was just thinking the same thing. Reading this is like hearing music, my fragmented doomscrolling thoughts unifying and calming for a moment. Biophilia yes?
Thank you, we live on a salt marsh in NE Florida and get to observe herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, ospreys, hawks, clapper rails and more. One thing that I have noticed is that the main rookery near us is at an aligator zoo (or farm as they call it). this time of year, we see a huge daily migration north at sunrise to their favorite feeding grounds, and then back to the nests at sunset. I've often wondered if they chose to nest above the aligators for protection against other species, like raccoons...
I'm late to read this, but I really enjoyed it! It caused me to take a deep dive into hoatzins, which I'm surprised as a birder I've never heard of before. I volunteer at a rehabilitation facility for birds of prey and these birds remind me of turkey vultures in the way they smell, look and digest their food. Both appear to be defined more by their unique digestive systems than their appearance, and both have similar behaviors (social, tree roosting in groups). Birds, or modern dinosaurs (like the cassowary-my favorite!) are really fascinating, evolutionarily, I'm so glad we have you to do the field work for us :).
We have black-crowned night herons where I work, in the center of Oakland, where downtown, Chinatown, and Lake Merritt meet. They have their rookeries in the occasional oak trees interrupting the sidewalk. It’s the strangest thing in that setting to hear the ratchet-like sounds directly above you as you're trying not to step on Taaka gin bottles, human waste, humans, as you walk to work, and see that they are directly above you in the only robust tree for blocks. The way I always described that sound to myself is “if a croak were a scream.” It’s startling and you never get used to it because you’re never expecting it because it’s so out of place in the city. You’re too close by default. Between the sounds they make and the sidewalk guano, those rookeries are something else. It’s just a bit sad seeing these beautiful birds in the street sometimes among gulls, pigeons, and crows and burrito foil, syringes and everything else.
Good read. I live in the Ozarks in southwest Missouri and love seeing the blue herons when I go 'yaking. Got an awesome video of one snagging a fish a few weeks ago. Also, can't wait to tell my friends about the goofy ruminant Hoatzins.
This is such beautiful writing! Thank you, Heather, for educating and uplifting us in difficult times.
I agree completely and was just thinking the same thing. Reading this is like hearing music, my fragmented doomscrolling thoughts unifying and calming for a moment. Biophilia yes?
Thank you both for sharing your gratitude. Yes to biophilia; no to doomscrolling.
Beautifully written and gratefully enjoyed
Thank you, we live on a salt marsh in NE Florida and get to observe herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, ospreys, hawks, clapper rails and more. One thing that I have noticed is that the main rookery near us is at an aligator zoo (or farm as they call it). this time of year, we see a huge daily migration north at sunrise to their favorite feeding grounds, and then back to the nests at sunset. I've often wondered if they chose to nest above the aligators for protection against other species, like raccoons...
The salt marsh sounds so lovely. And I suspect you are correct about the safety provided by nesting above alligators.
I'm late to read this, but I really enjoyed it! It caused me to take a deep dive into hoatzins, which I'm surprised as a birder I've never heard of before. I volunteer at a rehabilitation facility for birds of prey and these birds remind me of turkey vultures in the way they smell, look and digest their food. Both appear to be defined more by their unique digestive systems than their appearance, and both have similar behaviors (social, tree roosting in groups). Birds, or modern dinosaurs (like the cassowary-my favorite!) are really fascinating, evolutionarily, I'm so glad we have you to do the field work for us :).
We have black-crowned night herons where I work, in the center of Oakland, where downtown, Chinatown, and Lake Merritt meet. They have their rookeries in the occasional oak trees interrupting the sidewalk. It’s the strangest thing in that setting to hear the ratchet-like sounds directly above you as you're trying not to step on Taaka gin bottles, human waste, humans, as you walk to work, and see that they are directly above you in the only robust tree for blocks. The way I always described that sound to myself is “if a croak were a scream.” It’s startling and you never get used to it because you’re never expecting it because it’s so out of place in the city. You’re too close by default. Between the sounds they make and the sidewalk guano, those rookeries are something else. It’s just a bit sad seeing these beautiful birds in the street sometimes among gulls, pigeons, and crows and burrito foil, syringes and everything else.
Good read. I live in the Ozarks in southwest Missouri and love seeing the blue herons when I go 'yaking. Got an awesome video of one snagging a fish a few weeks ago. Also, can't wait to tell my friends about the goofy ruminant Hoatzins.