This does not look like good support for a Great Blue Heron nest. How would an egg stay put?
Clearly a lot of work has gone into stick gathering and placement in the V of this dead tree.
I’m hoping the prospective parents are just practicing until they locate a spot with more support.
A maple tree stands on this small island, actually more of a struggle, as it doesn’t stand straight and there isn’t much more to it than what you see here in this image taken this week. This tree is an early bloomer, and a variety with bright red seed pods.
Finding a bird in the right light tucked in among these bright maple seeds is a treat. The next two images were taken a few weeks ago on a windy day when most of the wading birds were staying low. The light wasn’t great but I couldn’t resist the red.
A small flock of White Ibis has had this island on their daily route for most of the winter. I often see them sticking out of the pine trees on the far end of the island and was happy to spot these two on the trail side.
The wading birds take to the trees when the tide is high.
Occasionally they pick dead trees with no cover, nice for the photographer.
Sometimes their perch choices look uncomfortable.
This juvenile Juvenile Little Blue Heron is just starting to show some mottling as he turns from white to blue.
He was the only wading bird around this small pond at the end of the afternoon.
He took his time poking around the perimeter, going in and out of the dappled sun.
A few Ibis were heading to a roosting spot past a swirly cloud sky.
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
December 29, 2019
This tidal pond was fairly still, with a group of Snowy and Great Egrets having a feeding frenzy in the left corner as the water ebbed.
This pair of Snowy Egrets flew in to see what was happening, creating some interesting reflections. A few ripples in the water made doubles of part of the closer bird in this next image.
In this one I like how the closer bird is connected to the further bird’s reflection.
The ripple had a different effect here, making an S curve out of the closer leg reflection.
As the pair came closer to shore and started their landings some bushes ended by view.
Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
January 1, 2020
I’ve spotted White Ibis all around the swamp recently, including taking a turn in the Skinny Tree while the Great Blue Heron was away.
Ibis feed by probing with their long bill and this one is surprisingly clean for standing in the duck weed.
Several of them landed in a pine tree over the trail, unconcerned about observers.
Although this one had a bit to say.
The sun was going down and this Great Egret only had a few more minutes of daylight to catch his last meal of the day.
He had success …
… then took his catch for a walk.
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons tend to be secretive and are usually at least partially hidden in some kind of vegetation.
I was rather surprised to see this one strutting out in the open.
It was quite cold and windy yesterday and many of the Great Blue Herons around the rookery were down on the ground rather than standing in their partially built nests.
We have something new to watch for around the swamp as signs of a beaver chewing on trees and cypress knees have appeared over the last few days. In the picture below the shiny, lighter colored wood is newly exposed.
This images gives a better idea of how it looks. It will be interesting to see if beaver have taken up residence or were just passing by.
