1st April 2021 - Heron

Halfway into my first lap I glance back across the pond, just in time to see the heron. It floats silently up over the changing rooms. Large wings outstretched to their full reach, beady eye scoping the pond below. It seems still despite its motion.

One of the lifeguards exclaims, “Look! The heron!”

Without breaking form, it reaches the top of its parabolic trajectory, hangs suspended for a fraction of a second, and then glides to the far bank, landing gracefully in the shallows. It barely makes a ripple.

The heron often stalks this bank of the pond, picking its way on long legs, eyeing the water. It is as familiar as the cormorant and the mallards. A regular. But no matter how many times you see it, its entrance always impresses. Seeing it today seems an auspicious omen for the new month.