Mike Powell

It was cold and gray and last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the birds seemed to be inactive, like this sleeping Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that was partially hidden by the vegetation in a field adjacent to a small pond.

I have often wondered if birds sleep with their eyes closed. I do not have a definitive answer, but if you click on this image to enlarge it and look closely at the heron’s eye, it sure looks like it is closed. I wonder too how birds can sleep in trees without falling over, but this heron was on solid ground, so I do not think that it was at risk of falling. As for me, I think that I have dozed off while standing, but don’t think that I have fallen into a deep sleep.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.