MICHAEL GIVANT
Contributing Columnist
givant@lbknews.com
In the heart of an industrial park a mile from the 300 acres of wetlands called Celery Fields is a secluded, large body of water. On shore an anhinga, partly in shadow, dries its wings. The bird nicknamed the “water turkey” has a long bill and long tail. Its black back and wings are matted with silvery white lines. Its large dark mustard-colored, webbed feet look as if they are made from heavy-duty canvas from an Army-Navy store. It’s a sight.
Standing on a ridge my wife, two close friends and I look at the water and see some great egrets, a great blue heron, a few cormorants and some mallards. Scanning the trees on the opposite shore, which are partly in shadow, we find eight perching anhinga. The males are black while the females have a black body and a buffy head, neck and breast. Complementary opposites. Each has a slivery, white-lined pattern on their back and wings. That, combined with the lines of their long-pointed bills, long straight-edged tails and lean appearance give them a striking appearance.
Our next stop, the Celery Fields, is undergoing massive renovation. They are filled with more water and birds than I’d ever seen here before. Among the aquatic plants are great egrets, some wood storks and an army of coots. On the grass are some lean and tawny female boat-tailed grackles. Fat City. Now in late afternoon, we go to a corner of the huge irrigated area to a veritable avian feast of smaller birds.