I had an interesting "meeting" with a Yellow Crowned Night Heron this morning. Arriving  at 8  in goodish light,  there was an on-shore breeze that had littered the beach with all kinds of debris including planks of wood, toothbrushes and loads of waste plastic amongst the seaweed. It is distressing to see this day after day, and it never ends no matter how often it is picked. It is a real insight in to the mess our oceans are in, worldwide. Here we are, close to the Gulf Stream, adjacent to the tropics and all the exotic beauty that that offers, but the dark side is the tons of plastic waste waiting to wash up on the worlds most beautiful beaches. The damage is done………….. we have to live with it now.

Anyway, back to the Night Heron. I glanced down the beach and saw a larger shape than usual on the serf ine. I quickly made my way towards the shape and realised that it was a glorious Yellow Crowned Night Heron This is a bird that I have hardly had a chance to get close too previously.  Little did I realise that this bird was going to be so confiding and "we" strolled down the beach together. I was really surprised that it not only allowed me to get close but completely ignored, or perhaps more accurately, accepted my presence. All the time, as we walked, as long I wasn't invading his space, we got along fine. Even when he stopped to catch a ghost crab, which was the purpose of his stroll if not mine.