Old Men or why I like Egrets

Here is the guy who started my day. As Nico and I trudged our way up the long winding ramp to his school I looked up. There was a large Egret sitting in the very top of a tree on the school grounds. It was as though he was smiling down on us or more likely trying to send some good juju to Nico so that he would not cry when I left him at his class.

SENDING GOOD JUJU TO NICO

What is it that attracts me to these birds? As I drive down the road I have to whip out my camera to quickly try to capture them. Yes, I have got to stop taking photos while I drive. Well one saving grace. I don't talk on my cell while operating the vehicle. Yes, I know that doesn't cut it. 

Well for these particular photos, I pulled over. Egrets were every where. I quickly yanked my camera from my purse and tried to focus as one Egret was standing in the sprinkler. He gave me the side eye as I rolled the window down to capture him and sauntered away turning his back to me. I swear I heard him say, "tis to laugh, it tis to laugh."

"Man, I missed another good shot." I slowly drove down the road some more (yes I know I said I pulled over but I was on the private road leading out of the recycling center) and there were a few of them walking on the sidewalk.

Giving the eye

The other eye giver

Now I've heard these birds described as Great White Egrets. The Great White is supposed to have a yellow beak and black legs. Hmm that's what he looks like. But every time someone talks about this bird they call him a Cattle Egret which is supposed to have yellow legs. Nope doesn't look yellow to me. 

This bird does have the same M O that the cattle egret has. He will follow the machines around the field waiting for bugs to be dug up or follow any disturbance in the soil or lawn being mowed waiting for a free lunch. 

Ah, but is there a free lunch if he is in the Kunia  fields a few blocks from my house? You've heard me mention the Frankinseeds a million times. But it is worth mentioning a trillion times. Monsanto and their GMO's are growing strong and I worry. As the flocks of birds fly gracefully to the fields in the early morning sunrise, they could be sickened and die like so many tested animals in research on Monsanto's GMO's. 

I would miss this old man of a bird who slowly walks the turf thrusting his head out and then back again, lifting his legs as though he wanted to make sure his knees did not give out. But if it was proved that the birds died from eating Monsanto grown corn etc. Monsanto would only come back with a suit against the birds like they did the farmers whom they accused of having acquired Monsanto patented seeds with out their permission. 

I hope not. They may remind me of old men but their young. I would only wish them a long life. May they grow to be old and cranky. 

His knees hurt because there on backwards