Mushroom-like clouds rise high in the air as I gaze at the eastern horizon. Are we under attack? Only from the heat it seems. There is no movement at all in the hot humid air hanging over the river. It is only steam clouds rising high in the still morning sky from the various power plants in the area. I anxiously await the arrival of fall like weather on the Broward. Up the channel I spot some movement.

With glistening wings of white, a small juvenile Little Blue Heron lands on the marsh just around the bend in the channel. I slowly creep down to a floating dock and lie down prone and await its approach. I change my settings so as not to “blowout” the white bird in the morning sunlight. Per the Cornell Ornithology Laboratory, “Adult Little Blue Herons are very dark all over. At close range or in good light, they have a rich purple-maroon head and neck and dark slaty-blue body. They have yellow eyes, greenish legs, and a bill that is pale blue at the base, black at the tip. Juveniles are entirely white, except for vague dusky tips to the outer primaries. Immatures molting into adult plumage are a patchwork of white and blue.”

This white juvenile slowly begins to stalk along the shallow bank heading in my direction. Its head stopping, then moving a little left, then a little to the right to spot its prey. A brief pause, and then with a lung of the beak, it snatches an unsuspecting shrimp for a quick morning snack. A movement to my left catches my eye as I see a juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron land on the bank beside me and also begin to hunt in shallow incoming tide. Both birds soon take wing and I slowly rise, aching from my prolonged prone position. I got a real birds eye view capture though for my aches and pains. A lesson learned from my good friend and photographer Jack Rogers.

Good things do come to those who wait. Life also teaches us some not so good things also happen at times. It is how we handle those not so good times that build our character. True friends will get you through those rough times. Remember there is always someone worse off than you. Think about the poor shrimp that got ate for breakfast. Be Blessed..Harry

Reflections on Broward is now "Mountain Musings"

Little Boy Blue...