Encounters with birds in the riparian zone

I walk by the Washbrook twice daily with my dog , Poppy, and these walks are some of my particular pleasures.

This is a special place. A place that is being rewilded; the long grass is tussled by the breeze, the weeping willows sway, and the fragrance of flowers fill the air at this time of year. I also have the pleasure of small encounters with birds. This morning, Poppy and I spotted a red winged blackbird singing at the top of a young willow tree. Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of seeing two titmouses (titmice?) in the pollinator garden, playfully flitting around a juvenile chokecherry tree.

Yesterday afternoon I had an unusual encounter with a young Great Blue Heron. I was returning from the library and I stopped to take a photo of some extra pretty clematis growing up an old piece of fence in the feral garden across from the Washbrook viewing platform. I heard a croaking sound and assumed it was a raven, but when I looked up, it was a young Great Blue Heron perched on the chainlink fence. I snapped a quick photo, but when I started to approach, it flew away.

I usually only see them wading in the Washbrook, or flying pterodactyl-like above me. It was rather magical.