It is no random choice that I have an image of a heron in flight as my profile picture. For whatever reason Great Blue Herons have always resonated deeply with me. I would like to go so far as to say I consider them my 'totem spirit', but some part of me feels like it is new-agey cultural appropriation to use that term...
Today as I looked up from my work, a heron flew directly overhead and landed on the top of one of the tall trees nearby that is next to a koi pond. This is a common occurrence. Today, as soon as she(?) landed, she was aggressively dive bombed by a very pissed off crow. This crow swooped back and forth like a pendulum for a good ten minutes aiming at the heron's head. The heron took little notice, only ducking when necessary. The crow eventually got tired and gave up.
Which got me to wondering: Why was the crow so upset? I had presumed the heron was after koi, and the crow was just being territorial about the treetop. But do herons eat bird eggs and nestlings? Or adult birds? They eat snakes, frogs and of course fish, so birds didn't seem too out of the question, but I had never heard of it. So I turned to the internet for help. It turns out the answer is yes, but not often. This video I stumbled on may give the answer why: they aren't very good at it!
:-)
My favorite bird attacking my least favorite. And yet somehow, I am rooting for the starling...
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"This crow swooped back and forth like a pendulum for a good ten minutes aiming at the heron's head. The heron took little notice, only ducking when necessary."
ReplyDeleteTo me, that's the most important point.
Take little notice.
Duck when necessary.
That's how I try to live (though not always successful...)
LOL! Thank you Val for seeing the wisdom I was missing! I love it!
ReplyDelete:-)
I love noticing peculiarities like this...and involving your totem animal no less!
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing footage! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSoapBoxTech~Thanks for stopping by, and commenting! And yes, I get a kick out of the fact that I see herons almost every day. :-)
ReplyDeleteFW~ You are welcome. :-)
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteI thought of you when I read this:
http://riverdaze.blogspot.com/
Check it out when you get a chance...
Peace,
Val
Thanks Val! I do read him, but I had not seen this yet, thanks for pointing it out! What a great post! And now I am craving pancakes, darn it...
ReplyDeleteBut you know it was the blue heron in his story (not the pancakes) that made me think of you, right?
ReplyDelete: )
Yes, of course. How could you have known I love pancakes too? ;-)
ReplyDelete