Insomnia Cure?

Burrowing Owl Update Below

I usually edit bird videos to feature action. I cut the long dull passages where they’re not “doing” anything. I feel a bit guilty about that because it distorts how the birds really are. So to make amends I’m offering two full minutes of this Black-crowned Night Heron hunting. In its way. Which means, remaining frozen like a mime on Pier 39. Only better. The bird blinks twice during this footage, both times in such a subtle way that you really have to be looking sharp to see it. It also moves its head a fraction of a degree. Apart from that, it’s the statue of a heron. I particularly liked the way it curled up the toes on its other foot and left them hanging out like twigs on a bush, or maybe bait for a fish.

You are not to be blamed if you don’t watch the whole thing. Literally nothing happens other than the continuous gentle lapping of the waves and the dance of the reflections on the bird and the rock behind it. Play it as a loop and this might be a cure for insomnia.

This scene happened on the north end of the rip-rap on the east side of the Burrowing Owl Sanctuary. There’s usually one or two Western Gulls on the outermost rock, and one was there now, lying down on its belly. I don’t usually see them lying down. Maybe it was watching the heron and got to feel very sleepy.

Burrowing Owl Update

The Native Pollinator Planting Party this morning kept me away from my usual Burrowing Owl check. When I got back to the park around 3:15 pm, I could not see the owl at either of its usual locations, nor anywhere else. Possibly the late afternoon light concealed the bird in its shadows. I will check back again tomorrow morning.

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