A Magical Moment of City Wildlife

Earlier this month we took a trip to Amsterdam to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  It was the first time either of us had been there and it was wonderful. I had no idea how amazing all the architecture is or how neat all the canals are. Another thing I didn't know about Amsterdam was how many lovely parks they have tucked all over the city.

One day, while taking a stroll through Sarphatipark, we found a nice park bench to relax on and rest our tired feet.  Not long after we sat down, we were buzzed by a grey heron.  We said, "Wow, that bird just flew right over our heads!"  A couple minutes later, whoosh, the bird flew back over our heads again, this time carrying a stick. Upon closer inspection, another heron was waiting in a tree next to a massive nest.  The tree was on a little island in the park with a nice growth of brambles at the base. It looked like a prime spot for a nest.

We continued to sit on the bench as the heron flew back and forth from the nest to a stand of trees to collect sticks.  Each turn at the nest required about five minutes of maneuvering sticks just so, before he or she would be satisfied and head out for another stick.  It was completely captivating to watch this display of pure wildlife in the middle of Amsterdam.  We stayed watching the building dance until we could bear the cold no longer.  But before we left, I managed to snap a few photos that captured the magic of this moment of city wildlife.

Grey heron building his or her nest
Sarphatipark, Amsterdam
March, 2012