Anticipating Spring!

We have an area of pine trees around a pond that the Great Blue Herons have chosen as their "rookery". It is simply magnificent from March until early summer. Each pine is like a heron condo. There are at least 4 to 5 nests in numerous trees. When the chicks hatch is sounds prehistoric as they demand food. Both parents are working the ponds on the entire plantation to keep the noisy babes fed.

Early last spring we were coming down the 8th fairway, towards the rookery. All of a sudden a spectacular Bald Eagle flew over the pond and made a circle around the pines. The herons went crazy! Immediately the air was filled with 40+ Great Blue Herons screaming at the Bald Eagle. We all just stood there and gawked at the sight. Golf was forgotten and wonderment began. What a treasure it was to have witnessed that. The eggs had not hatched... What a fantastic sight!

I'm including a few more pictures for you to enjoy. On any day I can see egrets, herons of all colors and sizes, wood storks, ibis, osprey, hawks, eagles - both bald and golden,  not to mention a multitude of shore birds.  I love watching nature!




The way the nests are layered in the trees is just fascinating! There are six nests in this picture!












The mature birds stand watch over the eggs.













How many nests can you find in this tree???
This picture shows a young heron... still fuzzy, but getting feathers. The squawking is LOUD

Comments

  1. B J ElderJanuary 16, 2012 at 11:02 AM

    How wonderful! You are in a great place for nature at your fingertips. When we lived in AZ we had herons and egrets near our place. One morning there were 7 herons lined up on the ridge line of one of the neighbors house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PattyJanuary 16, 2012 at 12:00 PM

    Wonderful pictures. I see an occasional Blue Heron, Bald Eagle and I hear an Owl in the woods behind my neighbors, but nothing like you.

    ReplyDelete

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