The Great Blue Heron Debate

I interval run and was out for the first time since we got back from vacation. I took my camera with me. I've gotten used to lugging my big ole Canon along because I don’t want to be sorry I didn’t have it. I'm always on the look out for things that might make interesting photos.

And interesting is a very subjective word. I’ve found that out over the years. What one person finds interesting, another person may find boring.

The route I had mapped out in my head before I left the house that morning involved a trip around the campground below dam.

I need to have a route long enough for me to be out for an hour and until I run it once, I wouldn’t know exactly what that might look like. Still, I had to start someplace. If I ended up at home before my hour was up then I would have to find other more creative ways of extending my run. I eyed the parking lot of the school as I ran past. I could do two laps around the parking lot if I need to, I thought to myself.

Once I had reached the dead end of School Road and turned around and came back out, I headed down Valley Road to the campground. I visualize the course I had plotted for myself in my head. I’d have this downhill to do then it will be only slight grades until I head back up to the dam. At that point I would have the steepest uphill grade of my course. But after facing the steep grades in Pennsylvania, I knew I could do this!

I jogged past the ducks on the pond. I knew when they heard or saw me because one duck raised the alarm, which was picked up by the others as they took wing and went to the other end of the pond.

I focus forward and I’m thinking about the next turn in the road. In my mind’s eye I can see the trees where the eagles roost in the winter and wonder if I’ll get to see any this winter. Then that got me to thinking about winter. How should I dress to run outside in the winter? What if I ask that question on Facebook?

“Peg, you can Google it and find out the answer for yourself,” you say.

I know, right! I thought of that. The only problem with that is there is so much information on the internet that you don’t know what you should implement and what you should ignore. I have family and friends on Facebook; some of them are runners and maybe they would already have practical knowledge.

I come around the bend in the road and what do I see? A whole herd of these guys! Nature’s cleaners. They were everywhere! Mostly they weren’t too afraid of me, as long as I didn’t try to get too close.

Black Vultures are the only species of vulture that actually prey on cattle. They can kill a new-born calf. They can. But mostly they just eat dead stuff like the other kinds of vultures.

My route soon takes me from the blacktop to the dirt roads of the campground itself. During my walking cycles I’m watching my time and dreaming. During my running cycles I’m counting my breaths. Breathe out one-two-three-four, breath in one-two-three. Four out, three in, over and over.

The water in the Osage River is low this time of year. It creates a large patch of dry, rocky ground that extends almost to the middle of the river. I didn’t think I’d go down onto that because I didn’t think I could run on it safely. I’d just turn around at the high water mark and head back up the hill to home.

The best laid plains, right?

Through the trees, I see him. I see a Great Blue Heron in the shallows of the misty Osage.

Cool, I think and snap off a few photos. I’ve learned to take photos first and see if I can get closer second. Critters often times won’t stand for you to get too close to them, don’t you know.

As I get to the high water mark I look up and see a pelican on a piece of tree sticking up out of the water. Well that was all it took for me to change my mind about walking out on the exposed piece of river bottom! I wanted to get as close to the pelican as I could. I put my run on hold even though I swore I wouldn’t. If I can’t get the photos on the fly, I won’t get them at all, is what I said I was going to do. Again, best laid plans.

I walk as calmly and quietly as I could, towards the pelican, snapping off a photo every few steps. I expect each photo I take to be my last. Amazingly enough, though, he just watched me as I came to the very edge of the water, snapped a couple of more shots, then turned to leave him in peace.

I turned to head back out and see the heron is till there. That crazy Blue Heron, I think, what is he doing?

I snapped a photo.

Then I see there are two Blue Herons!

I snapped a photo of two Blue Herons never realizing what is about to take place.

Chest bump!

The skirmish continues until one guy has had enough. “No fishing spot is worth this bullshit!” I can hear him say as he flies away.

And to the victor goes the best fishing spot and.....　　

The victory dance!

Once I downloaded the photos of the herons onto my computer and looked at them, I realized I’d gotten some pretty amazing shots.

I talk to my mother every night on the telephone. I could hardly contain my excitement as I told her, “I got some pretty good shots of two herons going at it. Have you ever seen that?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen two herons in the same shot at all,” she said.

Once I thought about it I realized she was right. Most times when I see a heron, that is exactly what I see. A heron. Just one.

I got lucky.

And my heart is filled with gratitude.

Gratitude to and for my mother. She's the one who planted the seed. She's the one who suggested I take my camera on my runs with me. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten these shots!

“I love you more!” I always say to her, and she chuckles.

“And I’ve loved you longer!”