A few days ago I was taking a detour on the way to work when I spotted a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron along a small creek which runs parallel to Wenhua 3rd Rd.[文化三路] in Beitou [北投].
That day I grabbed my camera out of my bag as fast as I could and took a picture before it flew away. Unfortunately, my lens had fogged up so the picture turned out to be garbage. I was running late, so I didn’t have time to explore further.
Two days later, I ventured a bit further along the creek to discover eight Black-crowned Night Herons who at first didn’t seem too annoyed at my presence so long as I kept a distance of about 2-3 meters.
Found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, these herons inhabit areas such as swamps, rivers, mud flats, the edges of lakes [source].
Walking with his head lowered and body in a crouched position, this one is signaling that I have overstayed my welcome.
The small concrete rivers and streams in Taiwan host a variety of life… so long as you find one without any overpowering odors.
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If you want to see black-crowned night herons by the dozen, go to the lake at Chung Hsing University campus in Taichung city. They inhabit an island in the middle of the lake. Loooads of ’em – we’re talking over 100 just on this one little island. They make quite a racket!