Standing guard
Last week my husband and I discovered a small heronry consisting of about a dozen (maybe more) nests.
As great blue herons aren't that fond of humans, especially when they are building nests or raising their young, the heronry was in an out-of-the-way place that I could barely reach with my zoom lens fully extended. I have also cropped the photos to make them appear closer.
The heron above was much nearer to me than the heronry, but still a long way away. This one was in a tree across a marshy area where it had a clear view of the water below and of the heronry.
Delivering nesting material
One by one, herons left their nests to collect materials for their nests or to look for food.
The heronry
Meanwhile other herons guarded huge nests high up in trees that are not yet leafed out. I imagine the nests will be well hidden in a couple weeks.
Flying over
I am linking yo World Bird Wednesday.
57 comments:
I love watchihg these birds too. There is a rookery about 15 miles from home, and they are already sitting on eggs. I'm wondering how they made it through this latest snow storm. Will have to check on them. Have a great rest of the week.
You got some great photos. I know how skittish herons can be. We love to watch them down by the bay, but we have never been lucky to see a nest.
What a great find you and your hubby made! Awesome captures! :)
what a terrific find!
love those delicate, beautiful photos!
Oh my goodness what an awesome find! Great shots!!
These giants are so magnificent!
I saw two fly over yesterday. What a wonderful find.
Nice shots. I guess they don't like humans because they take fish and sometimes we humans don't like that so persecute them.
These are wonderful, you and that long lens are truly able to capture so much.
Darla
Wonderful shots!! =) especially #2 and 4!! wow, I say!! =)
Great shots of the beautiful bird.
What a treasure you discovered! Lovely shots.
You did a great job of capturing these magnificent birds going about their daily life. Soon they will have chicks to feed and they will be even more busy than they are now.
Wonderful shots!! I posted about Heron's today as well but I think you did better than me. I'm trying again next week!
Great sighting!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Your pictures are really fabulous!
Great pictures you show.
Wishing you a good evening.
Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk
What a great find!Thanks for sharing.
Shantana
how great! i know we must have nests in the woods behind our pond, but i've never seen them - the trees are too dense.
I waited around for some time the other day, waiting for a cooperative nester, but they just wouldn't cooperate for me. But you got them fine!
Beautiful birds and amazing to watch. We used to have several frequent our pond, but since the fish are gone, so are the Blues. Wonderful capture!
they are so magnificent
and at times a bit funny
wonderful shots
awesome to see this, what a find. he looks so funny standing straight and tall way up there.
That is so cool! Not something you see everyday! Thanks for the peek!
Lucky you to find this! Wonderful shots.
Much snow at your place?
Very interesting. I would love to see something like this.
WoW, what a find, so exciting!! your images are wonderful, i wonder if it's a common thing for them to nest close together!!
Fantastic images... It's a lovely bird to see.
Interesting birds and great photos.
I just love the picture of the nest builder!
What a great find! Now you can watch the little ones grow.
How great to see! They are really special and beautiful! It looks so strange to see them in threes.
Wow! Beautiful shots anyway!
Birds in flight! Sister, how do you do it and come up with the most amazin' pictures???
Mine would be one big old blurrrrr! Heeehehehe!!!
Have a blessed and beautiful day sweetie!!! :o)
great shots--I saw an heron flying over my town the other day.
I'd be happy with these shots - I think you did well!
Now that you know where it is you'll have other opportunities to capture they.
Very Impressive! I love herons. They're so beautiful and graceful. :)
Okay, I'm duly impressed. Again. You are a master at photographing flying herons. Be proud. These really are good!
These are great shots.
You were in the right place at the right time. Lucky you. This morning I had to put on the brakes as I drove through a marshy area and a heron flew across my path.
I don't know who does these surveys, but at one point in time, my parents farm had one of the largest rookeries in Ontario with over 100 nests. As lovely as that is, it also means that a lot of their farm land was marsh.
Herons are such interesting subjects
The flight shot with the nest-building twig is fabulous! Great series -- I love seeing those big birds perched on those little branches.
Oh Wow! I love Blue Herons, these are great to see up close. Thanks for sharing these great shots!
I have them in my area but have yet to find a rookery.
Super great shots!
So graceful.
Love these wonderful captures!
Great shots, perfect post for WBW!
Happy World Bird Wednesday to you!
Hi there - nice pictures of the herons. I used to live near one in the UK.
The beach? Sand and cameras and binoculars don’t really mix and I'm a birder etc so that was the issue to start with! But I was brought up in a way where we never sat on a beach for more than about 20 minutes without going off somewhere else - so long term beach sitting is just not in my blood!
Cheers - Stewart M - Australia
I always enjoy the herons, but have never seen their nests! What a find - and great photographs!
It's always exciting to see big birds. When they're nesting they're even more interesting.
Isn't it exciting to find something like this? Like a treasure hunt or finding a hidden world!
great shots of the great blue. :)
Thanks, great pictures of a magnificient bird.
Can I say drat on here? This reminds me that I was near a rookery today but forgot all about it...I don't think I could get near enough to get shots like these but still wish I had remembered.
Nice capture!
Herons are such magestic birds. How interesting to find one of their nesting areas.
Great find and excellent photographs of the Great Blue Herons! I love that last in-flight shot!
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