heron
鷺 centers on a specific water bird: the heron. The character is used for the bird itself, with no major abstract extensions.
鷺 combines 路 (phonetic component, suggesting the sound) with 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic compound for 'heron'.
The top part 路 (path) sits above 鳥 (bird). Picture a heron standing on a path by the water: 鷺 is that heron.
For ロ, imagine a heron standing on a low branch over the water: low -> ロ, and the heron waits there.
heron (Ardeidae)
Japanese crested ibis
heron with all-white plumage (incl. egrets); white heron
grey heron (Ardea cinerea); gray heron
African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
medium egret (Ardea intermedia); intermediate egret
black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax); night heron
great egret (Ardea alba); great white egret
Habenaria dentata (species of bog orchid)
little egret (Egretta garzetta)
pogonia (Pogonia japonica)
Habenaria longitentaculata (species of bog orchid)
crows and herons
game of go; playing go
yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)
scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber)
Habenaria longitentaculata (species of bog orchid)
common spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
Miquel's mazus (species of small flowering plant, Mazus miquelii)
something indistinguishable or indistinct (like an egret in the snow)