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| Green Heron at South Lake, Golden Gate Park |
It was the lupines in the grass next to some sleeping ducks that enticed me to turn my bike around as I passed by South Lake on my way home. It was interesting to see lupines growing so close to the ground.
But not close enough!
A gardener riding a lawn mower appeared to run them down while I was on the other side of the lake, watching the heron. I'm not sure I've seen such low-growing lupines in the city before. They were like a taste of Mt. Tam. I was disappointed to see these rare urban wildflowers being snipped away. [A couple days later I checked the spot and found the gardener had deftly mowed around not only the lupines but all the buttercups and English daisies.]
After photographing the apparently doomed lupines I was drawn to try some semi-abstract close-ups of a nearby Canada goose. That's when I noticed something moving out by the lake's little island. I couldn't tell that it was a green heron until I put my telephoto lens on it. I've been checking Lily Lake every week, hoping in vain to see the green heron there again (where the duckweed has so taken over the water's surface that it's impossible for a heron to see any passing fish).
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| The ducks were sleeping hard. A lady with twins rolled her stroller right up to the ducks to show the toddlers. The ducks briefly raised their heads, then tucked them back in. |
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| Fortunately, they weren't sleeping so hard that they failed to get out of the way of the lawn mower. |
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| Preening Canada Goose |
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| Stalking Green Heron |
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| Hermit Thrush |
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| Canada Goose Escapes Lawn Mower |
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| The front view shows the interesting camouflage that a fish might see. |
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| Moving to a New Perch |
Very Brief Video of the Green Heron
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