South Salado Creek Greenway, Experiencing Presence

When I left the car last Wednesday and began walking the greenway trail, I felt more than a bit discouraged. Covington and Comanche Parks are not exactly wildlife areas. For the most part, the land along both the creek and trail is traditional manicured park land with picnic and recreation areas.

I was seriously wondering if I would find anything at all to photograph. As I came around the first bend in the trail approaching the quarter mile mark, I happened across a young night heron. With my telephoto lens, I was able to stay far enough away from him so as not to cause any alarm. He took slow steps along the bank of the creek. There was probably much more for him to eat than I was aware of, but no food source appeared immediately obvious.

If these were the only photos I had from that morning, I would have been quite satisfied. Just having had the opportunity to experience these few moments really did make my day: