The Heron DOESN'T like being stalked.

A Grumpy Heron ... he doesn't like me stalking him.

The Heron DOESN’T like being stalked.

It’s been ANOTHER of those “raindrops on roses” days and, as the hound and I headed to the beach, I wondered why I’d bought the camera along. It’s that soaking kind of rain .... fine and drizzly ..... and VERY VERY wet.

Not good for cameras kind of weather .... or so I thought .... until I saw the heron.

The heron hadn’t seen me. 

I pulled out the camera .... what’s a few raindrops on a lens.

He's looking for me - left ....

.... and right

The beach was totally deserted. I hadn’t expected anyone else to be there ... there aren’t THAT many mad hounds and humans who ramble even when it’s raining. This morning was NO different. Even Julia was conspicuous by her absence ... but she was still sleeping .... as I discovered later.

I persuaded the hound to dig trenches for a log we’d found as I tried to creep up on the heron. When the heron’s busy trying to catch something in the rock pools, he’s quite oblivious to me sneaking up on him. I’d already changed lenses and adjusted the settings.

We were all ready to GO .... when the heron UP and WENT

.... off the beach and over the road!

Thoroughly disgruntled I packed the camera away, put the waterproof cover back on the backpack and headed up to the Co-op for a caffeine fix. The hound was confused .... we hadn’t been on the beach long and already I was wanting to leave. She wasn’t happy ... but neither was I! 

Dam heron .... couldn’t he have just stayed there for a minute or two longer!

Rocks and reflections!

Coffee in hand we returned to the beach for the hound to chase logs. There’s so much driftwood on the beach at the moment that the rugby ball is superfluous to requirements. As she chased log after log into the waves I spotted the heron again!

An shorn Old English Sheepdog that we met at Waiatarua

This is the weed, Bindweed (or Convolvulus) that is spreading
rapidly at Waiatarua

He posed  for photos this time, albeit with reluctance, and ONLY flew away TWICE ... not far though .... just a few metres down the beach. Suitably satisfied with the pictures I’d taken, I left him to his foraging and headed off the beach. Julia and Indy had arrived by this time so, second caffeine fix of the day in hand, we hit the road for Waiatarua.

Look at the gorgeous colour on the female Mallard Ducks ... you don't see it clearly unless they're
preening themselves like this.

It wasn’t raining quite as much by the time we got to Waiatarua ... but it HAD been. There were little crystal jewels glistening on EVERYTHING! 

It might have been cloudy and overcast but the sparkle on the ground from those raindrops more than made up for the lack of sunshine!

“It’s not WHAT you look at that matters, it’s what you SEE.” 

~ Henry David Thoreau 

The hound has had the BEST of both worlds today

 .... and I’ve had WAY too much caffeine!

Even Indy swam today.

HAPPINESS is itself a kind of GRATITUDE!

One of the three Westies that was being walked by the lady with the Old English Sheepdog

More reflections!