Penny and the avian visitor

I like to meditate for a while in the morning, when I can, and today it seemed possible. I settled, thought of my mantra, relaxed into the pleasure of the quiet moment...

then barking, barking, barking at the front door.

Ignore it...focus on the mantra...woof! woof!... okay, just a sound, hear it and let it go...

enormous barking...

What could it be? Penny's going ballistic.

So, quit the meditation, go to the front door.

Stand beside her and scan the street, the driveway, the carport where the cars are parked, the garden. Nothing. The humongous barking is rising in pitch...

Wait a minute. She's looking up, not outwards. I look up. What's that on the roof of the carport?

I peer at it. Surely not. A blue crane? Here, right in the middle of the suburbs.

Sure looks like it.

Eventually it decides to leave and Penny retires to her bed, satisfied that once again her barking has seen off an unwanted visitor.

On looking for a link to the bird for this post, I've discovered that it's really called a white-faced heron and that this type of bird has adapted well to city life. I've never seen one near our house before.

It's not a crane. Well, you learn something new every day.