Somehow in the midst of the chaos of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the peaceful habits of the local birds in our neighbourhood are soothing.
Although there have been ducks and a few geese in our water hazard pond for a long time, I hadn’t noticed the rigour of their routine. In the morning, the ducks arise from their homes in the reeds, and gather for a breakfast in the grass that lines the hazard and along the rough on hole #16. Their group appears like a club, as they move for a while in syncopated harmony, poking their bills into the grass, finding various tasty pieces to munch on. After a time, the pairs of mamma and papa ducks gradually pair-off. They continue their feed, either in the grass as they graze or upon slipping back into the pond. In the afternoon they get pretty intense with their mini-dives, tipping up their tails and submerging their heads for a few seconds for a little more in their diversified diet.
Meanwhile, “Harvey” the heron appears, splitting his time between the line of water hazards from hole #13 through #17. He seems to spend a little time in each for safety. He is always watching whatever is going on around him, and while he will stand or walk slowly on the water’s edge, he will usually move from pond to pond, keeping a distance from any curious human. Occasionally Harvey has a friend with him, a smaller heron, perhaps younger, perhaps his partner. They hangs out together in a quiet, rather stark manner. Their physical beauty is amplified when they lift off on their short flights, with enormous wingspans, and elongate, delicate bodies.
Much higher up, quietly soar the eagles. Now there is a sight of majesty and beauty. They are truly among the most gorgeous of flying species. Calmly surveying the earth, with sharp vision, often hunting from on high. Yet, their soaring is also just a skill that they employ to get away from the earth, to pass silently in the coastal breezes, probably smiling as they go, if indeed an eagle can smile.