Michelle, this is just a comment on the beautiful heron in your latest newsletter.
I presume you took the photo? Anyway how lucky are you to have such a bird in your vicinity!

I've lived in Australia for 50+ years but still miss the birds of my childhood in Yorkshire.
What a blessed time it was as they were so abundant.

Love your Chronicles. Keep writing! Irris

Dear Irris, I’m so glad that you liked the heron pictures – and I did indeed take them myself, with my phone!  You’re right that I’m lucky to have them near where I live.  In fact I think it’s only the one heron who usually haunts the pond where I took the photos, although he/she also sometimes fishes at another one nearby.  So far over the years I haven’t spotted any nests, and of course with herons they’re pretty hard to miss.  But one particularly wet winter, he took to padding about the meadow in front of my house, after frogs. As you can imagine, he stopped the traffic several times.  And for such a large bird, he is extremely well camouflaged.  I often get right to the water’s edge without spotting him, only to be startled when he takes to the air on those huge wings.  And on the morning when I took that photograph, I felt honoured to stand under that tree while he sunned himself.  Thank you for writing in.  I can imagine that the birds of Australia present quite a contrast with those of Yorkshire.  But they’re still birds, and I’ve no doubt that you enjoy them.  With very best wishes, Michelle