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.