--- id: aliases: [] tags: - authorship/original - destiny/permanent - original-format/typewritten-print - type/daily title: 2025-10-31 --- # 2025-10-31 ## 2025-10-31 18:26 --- Friday Evening This morning as I was leaving for work I saw a massive congregation of all the walky water birds I love so much. A hundred and more, milling about in-the early sunrise. The banks were covered in ibises picking at the grass around the feet of egrets standing proudly and spaced just so. A dozen anhingas splashed messily in the center of the pond while a lone stork looked on with the mix of judgement and reservation typical of the species. It was the first time I had left so late. I'll visit again tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to get better pictures. I saw a few more around 17:00 walking around the pond after work. Some reguĀ­- lars: an anhinga drying her wings after a swim; a flock of mallard hens following in case I had food; a tricolor heron, as flighty as if I were standing over it, and pointing a gun instead of my phone's camera; but I also saw a beautiful great blue heron (_Ardea herodias_)---which, despite the wide berth I gave it, fled like its little cousin at my interest---and a common gallinule (_Gallinula galeata_), the latter I positively identified for the first time today. They have absurdly large feet, moorso the juveniles.\* \*The common gallinule was formerly known as the common moorhen, only split from the Old World species (_Gallinula chloropus_) in July 2011. It may still be more widely known as "moorhen" , thus the pun. Today was a good day---I've been at this for a while, one second... ## 2025-10-31 19:48 --- Late Friday Evening, Halloween btw Today was a good day. If I could see so many gorgeous creatures every day as I have this one I might never shed another tear. I love birds.