Heron Rests on Greenwich Cove After Blizzard

Just like all my human neighbors are outside clearing the snow off of their lives, so too were the birds of Greenwich Cove this morning.

I haven’t seen a blue heron since the fall, but evidently this youngster got snowed out of his winter hiding spot. He was hanging out by this old granite arch railroad bridge, built around the 1840’s, to cross over the Maskerchugg River.

Unlike my human neighbors shoveling their driveways, the heron didn’t want to be social this morning. In this picture, he’s flying away right in front of me.

He didn’t make it very far though, and actually spread eagle (spread heron?) into the snow bank on the other side of the river. Here he is after getting back on is feet after a few seconds of being stuck on his chest. I’m guessing his wings were a little bit frozen over.

Here’s the stone arch with the heron on the other side now.

The heron wasn’t the only bird I bugged on my morning snowshoe; I also scared these Canada geese and ducks away from the spot on the Cove.

A hemlock tree on Greenwich Cove, with the sun starting to shine in the background.