Even though I am calm and quiet, the non-human inhabitants are usually very aware of where I am in the valley.
This morning the grey heron and our resident families of Canada Geese knew exactly how close I was. And even at a distance, chose to make their exit above and on the lake.
While they appear to feel relatively safe here in our valley, they still have a distance beyond which their natural instincts kick in.
How much are we alert to each other, often subconsciously? And what is our safe distance?
It takes time to build trust and narrow the gap.
But it starts with being aware that there is an invisible line, on both sides.