A Great Blue Heron at the Beach!

...good for a smile.

I so enjoyed this encounter with a Great Blue Heron during my Florida Space Coast visit in June as a guest of friend, Marge Bell of Space Coast Beach Buzz.  Along with me on this early morning beach walk was photographer Jim Angy, a playful, interactive and spontaneous nature enthusiast who has packed a life-time of experience and knowledge into his explorations of Brevard County's natural world.

For me, finding a Great Blue Heron on the beach came as a bit of a surprise.  I am accustomed to seeing them around the banks of rivers and lakes and hunting in wetlands.  But this heron was relatively desensitized to people and using his opportunistic instincts and innate patience, hoped to take advantage of a fisherman's activities.  I loved these images.  Herons have such expressive bodies and faces, comical at times.  But doesn't he/she look stunning against the ocean waves?  

To see a sampling of my Florida experiences in June, visit A June Slice of Florida's Space Coast and I hope to show you more of the detail soon.  To see my posts about my January Florida birding experiences visit Space Coast Birding. (The earliest posts will be found by clicking 'older posts' at the bottom of the series with most recent posts appearing first.)  You may also enjoy seeing my sketch of Great Blue Herons at the Rookery.

Also visit these related links:
Space Coast Beach Buzz
Jim Angy Photography

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #112 to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Great Blue Herons--Spring at the Rookery

Spring begins silently, in unnoticed ways. While we humans are still shivering and wishing for more sunshine, many bird species have been busy building nests, strengthening pair bonds and mating.

When I took the photos below, I was standing braced against the side of the upper deck of the Blue Moon as we moved along the windy Tennessee River approaching a great blue heron colony. I was thinking how exciting to actually see herons at their nests from a closer distance without disturbing them.

In this colony, only one pair built their nest in the trees. The rest used the braces of a tranformer tower for their platforms.

As an artist who enjoys observing animal and bird behavior, I aim for reference photos and that intimate connection that stirs my joy and the desire to create. And I try to capture the moment, images that bring me new insights into the world of my subject.
In this case, I was hoping for something a little more than what I knew and what I got was packed with exciting information about another species that lives near the water in east Tennessee and now thrives, despite the fact that it once was rapidly disappearing. The heron above seems to have landed on an empty nest. But nestled down in its center is his mate who soon rose up to greet him and received the fresh twig.
Below, another heron flies toward the lower level braces where he has positioned his nest. You can see his mate waiting expectantly for his arrival. As you move through the photos notice how the pair greet each other, erect their plumes and stretch their necks to display their plumage, a ritual that helps anchor their pair bond.

When I looked at these images, I saw what none of us could see in the few minutes it took to pass the rookery. That this moment was captured frame by frame in a time that spanned less than 60 seconds makes me feel even more privileged. It was one of those gifts of place and time that nature sometimes hands us unexpectedly. In fact, my whole experience on the cruise seemed to be like that.

While we wait a bit longer for the human version of spring to arrive, there is plenty of evidence in Tennessee’s bird community that spring is already underway.

To see the entire Blue Moon Cruise series click here.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #29 at Birdfreak.com in support of the conservation of our world's birds.