Heron's Knees

 

As Great Blue Herons are now returning to the heronry at Metzger Farm Open Space, it seems appropriate to share some of club member Walter "Ski" Szymanski's photos and thoughts on these beautiful creatures from past Facebook postings.

August 7, 2023 -- See those bony knees on the Great Blue Heron in my first photo here from this morning at Metzger? If you thought, "Sure, I see them", then you need to immediately reach out to the science community because you've got paranormal eyesight!

What I'm talking about is, those visible knobby structures midway up the legs on this bird that for all the world look like a mummy's bony leg knees, are not its knees. They're its ankles. Its knees are further up its legs, hidden under its feathers.

Like most birds, herons stand, walk, and run on their toes. Cats and dogs are structured this way, too. Animals with this kind of setup are known as toe walkers--kind of like some of us do when tippy-toeing downstairs late at night to snag some ice cream from the freezer hoping others in the house don't hear your stealth maneuvers. (I haven't a clue, though, why anyone would want to tip toe through the tulips. There isn't any ice cream in tulip fields.)

Anyway, the second image I took of this heron this morning hopefully provides a better visual of how the bend in this bird's leg in the process of scratching itself is at its ankle, and not at its knee.

Well, ain't that just the bee's knees!

Cheers!

Walter "Ski" Szymanski

Books About Migration

Why do birds migrate? How do they find their way? What tells them that it's time to migrate?

Spring is a great time to investigate this magical phenomena, and there are a plethora of resources available on the subject. Here are a just a few.

A Season on the Wind by Kenn Kaufman

Birders from around the globe gather each spring along the shores of Lake Erie in northwestern Ohio to witness the magic of bird migration as billions of birds congregate on their way through to northern breeding grounds. Kenn Kaufman focuses on this location to focus on the world of migration. His book is engaging, heartfelt and passionate in addressing the topics of birding, migration and conservation. 

A World on the Wing; the Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds by Scott Weidensaul

Compelling, beautifully written book on the science of bird migration. The author shares his experiences working with scientists, as they track birds that cross oceans and mountains, flying tens of thousands of miles to migrate each year.

A Warbler's Journey by Scott Weidensaul and Nancy Lane

A beautifully illustrated story about a mighty little warbler on a journey from Central America to Canada. On her travels several families provide habitat for her to take refuge along the way. The story is a marvelous lesson for children and adults, about the world of migration and our responsibility in it.