Nature Gratitude: Urban water birds

Yesterday morning, enjoying the morning quiet of my mile walk from the hotel along the Riverwalk to the Convention Center, I found this guy in my path--a yellow-crowned night heron.  I am sometimes amazed by how nature can endure and even thrive in our increasingly urban environments.

It seems yellow-crowned night herons nest in the cypress trees along the Riverwalk, and at least one of these beautiful water birds is attracted by the plentiful supply of well-fed ducklings along the river.  They also nest in downtown Houston, eating insects, frogs, and lizards.  On evening walks at home, I occasionally see one stalking food on its long spindly legs along a Heights drainage ditch.  I sometimes used to spot giant juveniles standing awkwardly in the street when I lived in the Museum District.  A photographer has published a book about this family of night herons.