Lurch

This is Lurch, a Great Blue Heron who lives in, or around Goose Pond Colony Marina.

Lurch is very accustomed to the comings and goings of people and boats.

In fact, Lurch spends much of his day wandering up and down the docks and the fingers that run off the main dock between all the boats.

He even looks in through the boat's porthole!!

It was a bit surprising the first time I came across him, standing in the middle of the dock between me and the boat.

I stopped and looked at him, and he stood there looking at me with his beady little yellow eyes.  After a moment, and apparently sensing no threat from me, he turned and walked down one of the fingers so that I could pass.

As I've said before, people fish from the docks here, and locals come and fish from the banks.  Marina folks began feeding Lurch some of their catch some time ago, and he has come to expect it.  After all, who turns down a free meal?

But the locals don't always know the protocol.  One day I watched a man fishing from the bank as Lurch swept in for a landing within about 20 feet from him.  He (Lurch) stood on the grass, staring at the fisherman.  The poor man was clearly unnerved by this, and moved about 10 feet along the bank, away from the bird.  Lurch very calmly followed, maintaining the 20 foot distance, and never taking his eyes off the fisherman.  Again, the man moved down the bank, further this time.  And again, Lurch calmly followed.

I called out to the fisherman that the bird was used to being fed, and that if he would spare a small fish from his catch, Lurch would probably leave him alone.  I don't think he believed me at first, but after a while became so uncomfortable under Lurch's unwavering stare that he tossed a small fish to the bird, who caught and swallowed it in a single motion.  The man looked at me, laughing, and said he'd remember to feed Lurch the next time he came fishing here at Goose Pond.

By the way, you can click on any of these pictures to enlarge them for a better view.