Here a heron, there a heron....

Just when I thought my life couldn't get very much more exciting, it did! I was hired to sit beside the highway and observe the activities of great blue herons. I said for a total of 34 hours over a period of 3 days, making sure the birds were not unduly stressed by the activities of the highway crews. The gov't obviously thinks that this would be much more disturbing than the freight trains below them. For your information, I saw 2 birds.

This is the intrepid birder carrying out her task. Notice the essential camouflage necessary to blend into the trees so as to be unobserved by the very sensitive birds.

Look Susan! A heron...quick, take a picture!

The object of my affection...can you see it?
Don't feel bad, I couldn't either for the better part of 3 days!
(it is there)

The pulverizer, which made a slight whirring sound and spewed diesel fumes, didn't seem to bother the heron(s). I figure it was a break in the boredom of sitting in a poplar tree!
By the afternoon of the 3rd day, there was no sign of any birds...my job was done.