Flying Things

[roseembolism]

So a few weeks ago, while taking my evening walk, I paused to watch the full moon rising between two stands of eucalyptus. In the dimming light I saw something flying, but couldn't quite make it out, in the twilight haze until it grew larger- a large egret. So I watched the egret flying in front of a rising moon as the mountains in the back faded into twilight haze ...very much like a Japanese watercolor.

Tonight though, it was bats. Walking past the eucalyptus trees, I saw something dart right over head, then do one of those impossible turn on a wing stunts. And then as I walked along, I saw another, and another. I think I counted at least five r six in all, making dizzying acrobatic swoops in the air. They had no fear of me, passing only feet away from me in their pursuit of bugs. I nearly tripped over my own feet as I turned to watch them fly. It was like watching a rapid-fire cartoon

Serenity and furious motion; I like seeing those sorts of contrasts in my life- and I hope to see more.

Comments

[etoilenoir959.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a site to see. I don't think I can even remember the last time I saw an egret.

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

Thanks to the wet spring and the local swa-err mar-err wetlands, we've been lousy with egrets this year. We've been seeing egrets in pairs, clumps, and in one case a flock of 30-40 birds. That's made the university, which is on a rise above the wetlands, an especially popular place for a certain type of tourist. There's been lots of people standing out on the outlook bearing cameras and telescopic lenses, and they haven't even been industrials spies scoping out our defense contractors. Strange birds indeed.