The Great Blue Heron

 There was an odd, throaty bird call when I finished the chores on Friday.  I looked up and saw a great blue heron gliding into our pasture.  I thought it was a little odd, because our creek is not deep enough to wade in and there probably isn't enough food for a hungry water bird, but he was probably just passing through.  

Saturday morning, our son and I went to the fishing property to work on a new trail.  This property is down the road from our farm and has access to deeper water, including Black Creek.  My husband called and told me that the cows were chasing a big grey bird in the pasture.  I immediately remembered the heron from the day before.  After confirming that it was the same bird, my husband said he didn't think it could fly.  He locked up the cows, so the bird could be left in peace.  I told him I would call FWC to report injured wildlife. I was referred to a rehabber, who asked us to bring the bird to him, but didn't sound very encouraging.  He said it would be best if the bird was taken somewhere he could feed himself and that would give him the best chance to heal, unless there was something obviously wrong with him.  I was given instructions on how to catch him with a sheet and to control his head so he couldn't "poke your eye out".  Pondering this, I realized that if I just pushed harder and finished the trail to the water, I could potentially walk the bird back there and release him in a spot where he could find food.  It was his best hope.  

We worked as hard and fast as we could and finished the trail right down to the water's edge.  We drove back to the farm and spotted the bird still in the pasture.  I enlisted the neighbor and her young relative in the hunt.  The four of us slowly approached and the poor bird flapped his wings , but was unable to leave the ground.  He fluttered away and laid down, exhausted.  The second time, we successfully moved him toward the fence and had him cornered.  We quietly covered him with a sheet and I bundled him up in my arms.  My husband drove as our son and I stayed in the back of the truck with the bird still wrapped in the sheet.  We walked down the new trail and released him.  Another great blue heron was feeding not far away.  He approached our tired one and squawked a little at our bird before moving away.  We checked the area on Sunday and the heron had moved from his release spot.  Hopefully, he found his way to food and appropriate habitat.