This past week, I've been the recipient of gifts that are out of the ordinary. Today, walking to the store, I came upon this yellow-crowned night heron, feeding in a shallow ditch alongside a four-lane street. It was quite hot, the middle of the day, in heavy traffic. The heron looked at me, unperturbed. It didn't fly off.

I've included the second photo (take note in the lower left-hand corner) to give some perspective. These beautiful birds are usually lounging in trees during the day, in much less industrial settings.