Best of 2018!

It's that time of year when I share the best of 2018 captures. We visited several botanical gardens, a national wildlife refuge, an artist's village, a state park, and I even spent an afternoon capturing images of Elk and Bison at the prairie at Land Between the Lakes. And least of all, I threw in a few images from around Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee. While I didn't travel far out of state, I still managed to capture some unique images. I hope wherever 2018 took you in your travels you were able to stop and smell the roses and take a few pics to tell your story. Have a wonderful 2019 and here's to lots of new adventures and journeys with your camera in tow. ENJOY!

Drive the Refuge

Come along as I drive the Duck River Unit of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, a birder's paradise. Here's a collection of images as I made my way into and out of the refuge.

The refuge is home to birds in all shapes and sizes and colors and in all the varying habitats within the refuge. A twist in the road and you scare up a large wading bird who takes flight from the intrusion. You don't mean to intrude, but with the grasses along the road obscuring what lay on the other side, and the swamps adjacent to the road much lower, it is inevitable. A few of the birds I encountered:

Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Mallard Ducks,
Eastern Kingbird, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Bobolink, Yellow Headed Blackbird

I hope you enjoyed the drive and would love to know if you have a favorite photo.

If you are in the Eastern United States, we're in the throws of a full blown heat wave, so be careful out of doors. Have an enjoyable weekend all. ENJOY!

Great Blue Heron, Old Hickory Lake

I captured this image last year on a beautiful, sunny day on the small peninsula where the Heron Rookery sits along Old Hickory Lake. I haven't visited the Rookery this year as the land it was setting on was sold and an absolutely humongous house is being built on the property. I had permission from the old owners to frequent the Rookery, but I will need to gain permission from the new owners. Perhaps in the Summer or Fall I'll be able to do that. Right now the house is under construction. I loved this image as it was the perfect profile shot of the Heron. I hope your weekend is going well. Weekends seem to fly by these days. Very hot day and storms tonight here. Perhaps tomorrow it will be a tad cooler. ENJOY!

Yawn, Great Blue Heron

The fisherman stands sentry on an old worn tree stump near the shoreline patiently fishing for his next meal. Many a Great Blue Heron fish Old Hickory Lake up and down both sides of the peninsula every day here in Hendersonville. Today, I headed out briefly and happened upon this Heron perched on this old stump at the park. There wasn't much sun this afternoon, but I managed to catch a few images of him in what little bit of sunshine there was, before heavy cloud cover began to move in.

We have had every Winter accessory it could bring us here in Tennessee this year. Snow, ice, sleet, rain, rain and still more rain. Darn if the groundhog didn't see his shadow and announced six more weeks of Winter. UGH! As I snapped photos of the Heron, he looked my way and yawned. It was as if he echoed my thoughts on Winter. Speaking of, there is a front coming through in the early evening as I write this post. Thankfully, it's been too warm for the precipitation to stick, but still there it is. Spring has been on my mind a lot lately. I hope wherever you are, you have had a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Walking on Water

Walking on water, this Great Blue Heron and many other shorebirds are standing on top of Old Hickory Lake, after a frigid sub zero week of temperatures, left the surface frozen.

Of course, as you walk on water, you run the risk of slipping. Sorry for the blur, but when you walk on water, you slip and things get a little blurry.

Today is the first day the temperatures climbed out of the 20's and actually made it into the low 40's. I ventured out briefly. There are temperatures predicted to be in the 60's mid week. First, however, an ice storm is predicted for the Monday morning commute. Ahhh, Winter throwing everything it can possibly throw at us. Stay warm, stay safe. ENJOY!

2017 Year In Review

As I look back at 2017, I found a harsh political climate, not to mention a climate that left us with hurricanes in the South and wildfires in the West. We saw more terrorism in many states, even in my own. Demonstrations plagued our cities, big and small. We are a divided nation it seems. Then came a giant leap in the women's, and even human rights movement. With the unearthing of sexual harassment, this brought to bear one's credibility. With it came destroyed careers, shattered lives and broken families. And we are left in shock and disbelief in this the supposed greatest nation in the world.

In my world, however small, I awoke each day with new hope of capturing Mother Nature in all her splendor and beauty. As best my mind's eye could focus through the lens in my Nikon, I snapped image after image at every twist and turn on the road I traveled. I long for more, but this year ends on this day and I am left wanting.

The year 2018 will bring more opportunities and more images, with different settings and beautiful scenery. I hope to bring you, my friends and followers, who so graciously compliment me as I post, more of what is beautiful in this world. Thank you for all of your well wishes. I will cherish them always. I leave you with my very best images I brought up from the depths of my archives of this year 2017. 

I pray all that is wrong in this world will be overshadowed by all that is right in this New Year. Whatever climate we find ourselves in, be it political, weather or controversial, I hope you will look to Mother Nature for the beauty and splendor in our world. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Linking to Foodie Friday and Everything Else and Metamorphosis Monday

Ready for My Close Up Mr. DeMille

On the off chance I might see an odd bird of sorts, I stopped off this week at a tiny peninsula that juts out into Old Hickory Lake and is actually in Old Hickory. Old Hickory is on the opposite or south side of Old Hickory Lake just south of Hendersonville. Not a thing was stirring except for one lone Great Blue Heron who seemed content, visitors or not, to stand in the water right next to the edge of the parking lot and intently look out across the lake. I assumed he was ready for his closeup.

The Heron stood in the lake's shallow waters where the grasses were growing intently looking out at the lake. Fishing, no doubt. It was a cool 97 degrees today. I believe it was the hottest day of the year so far. UGH! Wouldn't it be great if it snowed one day during a heat wave. Sorry. I was out in the heat today working and I think it affected my brain. Stay cool all. ENJOY!

'Nesting' Black Crowned Night Herons

A visit to the Heron Rookery on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville Sunday afforded me a plethora of species of birds. Since I rarely get more than a glimpse of a Black Crowned Night Heron, I thought I would post images of them first. They were very busy flying in and out of the rookery. In this image, you can see the late afternoon sun casting its golden glow.

This Heron Rookery never ceases to amaze me with the different species that nest together in one large tree along the shoreline. I wonder have you ever tried to capture a Black Crowned Night Heron in flight? It's not like photographing a Great Blue Heron. They move much much slower than Night Herons. Night Herons fly much faster as they are not nearly as large a bird as their Great Blue Heron cousins. One never knows when you snap an image of one in flight, if it's even viable, but on this day I got very lucky.

I had trouble differentiating the leaves and tree branches from the Black Crowned Night Herons. The Great Blues stick out more as they are bigger, but the Night Herons being so small blend in. I snapped an image of a Great Blue Heron standing on a nest only to realize later that this Black Crowned Night Heron was sitting on its nest right below it.

Today there were Great Blue Herons, Black Crowned Night Herons, Cormorants and Great White Egrets flying all about the Heron Rookery, not to mention Barn Swallows and Canadian Geese. What a plethora and a pleasure to be in the company of such great species and able to photograph them. I will share Great Blue Heron images in a post soon. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We finally, as you can see from these images, had a beautiful day Sunday with blue skies and low temperatures in the 70's. It was wonderful. ENJOY!

Nesting Cormorants

Yesterday's weather was nothing short of windy at Old Hickory Lake. I stood on one side of the peninsula that guts out into the lake in order to capture this image of the Cormorants' nesting. There were only one or two of the normal twenty or more Great Blue Herons in their nests as the wind was so bad, I doubt their weight coupled with that of their nests would have been comfortable. However, Cormorants are a much lighter bird and most chose to stay in the nest, while others flew in and out. Have a wonderful Sunday. ENJOY!

Duck River Unit, TN National Wildlife Refuge

There are several units of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, and the Duck River Unit is one I have wanted to visit for some time. I knew from being a frequent visitor to Tennessee's page on the bird.aba.org website that the majority of waterfowl are located in far reaching areas of this refuge. That was quite accurate, as way off in the distance I could see a flock of American White Pelicans, not to mention quite a few Great White Egrets, wading in a huge wetland area. Choosing to stay on the gravel roads, I stopped in several spots to capture images of the wetlands and waterfowl as best I could. Bald Cypress Trees were plentiful in one swamp and had turned their customary burnt orange hue for Fall.

Not far from the Bald Cypress Trees in my first image there sat four Cormorants perched on a large tree branch in the middle of the wetland sunning themselves, accompanied by a lone Turtle. It was very difficult to get a decent shot as they were a good distance away so I had to crop significantly. My apologies. I snapped a few images in the car and then as I went to get out they flew off.

Just to the right a distance from the Cormorants stood a Great Blue Heron wading in the water as he fished for a meal. He too was not happy as I exited my car and hightailed it flying off making quite the ruckus as he went.

Down a side road I traveled quite a distance, got out of my car and walked a bit finding myself between two large wetlands. I scared something up as it lifted off and flew away in a hurry. I snapped a few images not even knowing what it was. Turns out it was an American White Pelican of all things. I didn't get to see it up close at the refuge, but my software helped hone in on it. It's Hunting Season in the refuge which could explain the waterfowl being so skittish. I didn't get to the west side of the refuge. Perhaps another day. ENJOY!

Egret in Flight

A beautiful Great White Egret flies over Old Hickory Lake on a Summer day. There are only a few Egrets that make the lake their home in the warmer months. More often you will see Great Blue Herons. But when I do happen upon a beautiful Egret, I have to stop and take a photo. They look so graceful. During Fall you will find dozens of Egrets on the lake as they stop over on their migration to the Southern states. ENJOY!

Bird's Eye View

As I photographed the Herons at the Rookery a few weeks ago, I captured this image of a Heron flying over the area. Hope your having a great week. Back soon. ENJOY!

Late May at the Rookery

As the sun began to fall low in the sky, the Herons in the Rookery on Old Hickory Lake, continued to fly in and out of the trees. As I peered up into the Rookery, although the leaves were fully out on the tree, I could make out countless Herons in all shapes and sizes. Keeping their privacy in mind, I stayed away from the Rookery itself, but decided to walk under a smaller tree nearby which stood away from the rookery. Not realizing I scared up several Black Crowned Night Herons in the tree. One flew up into the Rookery, while the other flew up on top of a shorter tree near the Rookery. I moved just close enough not to make the Heron fly away and snapped these images.

In spite of the wind picking up, the Heron kept a firm grip on the branch and stayed put. There must have been twenty birds in the Rookery, not to mention several Herons flying in and out, with one flying in carrying a huge twig. More nest building going on. Amazing! I am not certain how long into the year the courtships and nest building goes on, but my best guess would be that it will come to a close soon as the hot days of Summer are fast approaching. I did take note that the juveniles I could make out in the nests had grown to a good foot or more. It bears mentioning here that I did not adjust the color on these images. The blue hour was upon me and very evident in the images I captured. It bears mentioning I broke out the Summer header today. With the exception of this week, the weather here in Tennessee has felt more like August. This week the temps dropped like a rock, but they are bouncing back and fast. So incredibly happy it is the weekend. A major deadline is nearly behind me and I am so relieved. Everyone have a wonderful weekend. ENJOY!

Heron Fly By

One of the many images I captured this past weekend during my workshop. It was a complete success and the ladies enjoyed the Heron Rookery immensely as did I. If I only knew what this guy was saying to me as he flew by, but sadly I don't speak heron. You have to admit though, he is a beauty. As were all of the Great Blue Herons, and there were quite a few, over on an adjacent peninsula near the shoreline. Apparently, some fishermen had scared them out of their nests when they pulled up right under the rookery. Fortunately, they pulled out shortly after we arrived and we made sure to keep a safe distance from the rookery so as not to disturb the families. ENJOY!

Black Crowned Night Heron

There is a creek call Drakes Creek right off Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville. It meanders north through the heart of Hendersonville. As it does there are areas where trees have partially blown down and branches are sticking up out of the water. Great Blue Herons, Great White Egrets, Green Herons and Black Crowned Night Herons are just a few of the common resident bird species that make this creek their home.

As I come and go throughout the week I take the short cut passing by Drakes Creek always checking to see if the resident Black Crowned Night Heron is perched on a particularly large dead tree branch that sticks out into the creek near the road. On this day, he was perched on the perfect branch just low enough and near enough to the edge of the creek for me to get a decent photo. This is the image I had tried to capture at a distance in early March, but that image was really not good even though I did post it. This bird species is one of the shorter, stumpier species of Herons obviously. But he is just as determined a fisher as any Great Blue Heron or Great White Egret is. Hope you enjoy this much better image of such a beautiful bird. ENJOY!

Now on a personal note, I have been grounded for a week with a stomach bug which kept me from a major conference for work this coming week. Needless to say, this didn't make me happy, but one has to do what one has to do. It has been a trying few months what with bronchitis, then major dental work and now this bug. But I will bounce back. You can count on that. Twenty years ago today I was involved in a serious accident which left me with many injuries which took weeks and weeks to recover from. But I did recover albeit I was much younger then which probably helped. Now this week, my oldest sister, Linda, experienced a serious trauma while on vacation in Florida. She is currently out of ICU, but has a very long and grueling recovery ahead. I mention this for one reason. I hope you will keep her in your prayers. God Bless.

Nest Building 101, Heron Rookery

It's nest building time at one of the Heron Rookeries I discovered situated along Old Hickory Lake today just as the light was beginning to wane and clouds were moving in.

This particular rookery is situated on one side of an inlet in a residential neighborhood about a mile from my home. A large tree sits right at the tip of the inlet jutting out into the lake. The area is a public area with a drive that goes back a short distance. Staying an appropriate amount of distance away from the rookery, I snapped images using my 300 mm lens. Counting a good twenty nests in the large tree, there were at least eight or ten of those that looked as though they could have current residents.

This is the first rookery I could walk up to and while I wanted to get closer, I did not want to stress out any of the nesting birds. The Herons flew in and out of the nests as I stood for about twenty minutes watching them. Only this particular Heron seemed serious about his nest building duties.

I noticed a nest on the adjacent tip of the inlet in a large tree there also. It was the only nest in the tree. Soon the leaves will be sprouting and views of the Rookery will be obscured. I love watching the Herons flying in and out. Such majestic birds and the first image is my favorite. Just look at the detail.

After a stressful week, this was a wonderful way to end it. I also stopped at Drakes Creek to capture a few images of a Black Crowned Night Heron that I have been watching as it habitually perches in one particular tree along the creek. I just happen to catch him there late today and stopped for five minutes to snap his portrait. I'll post those images next week. Finally, decent weather for photography! Yippee. Thank you Mother Nature. ENJOY!

Fishing on the Lake

There are ample opportunities along Old Hickory Lake to fish off shore and in a boat. This doesn't even take into consideration flying by if you are a Great Blue Heron.

There's a tiny park that sits between the road and the lake, along the peninsula road that runs north to south on this particular stretch of Old Hickory Lake, and oftentimes, you will find Ducks and Canadian Geese fishing there. Every now and then you will spot a Heron or Egret too. This guy was so intent, I don't even think he flinched when I pulled up in my car to snap his photo. He was just that focused on the task at hand. One of the many reasons I chose to move to Hendersonville was the wildlife areas around the lake. You never know what you will find. The weather has been in the teens and sixties here in middle Tennessee. I think the major fluctuation of temperatures is going to be the norm from here on out with our weather. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Back soon. Carol

Striking a Pose, Great Blue Heron

As I ventured out to do some birding today, I spotted this Great Blue Heron striking a pose and definitely on the prowl for a quick meal. He was perched atop a dead tree which had extensive branches and was washed up against the bank at Old Hickory Lake near Old Hickory Dam in Hendersonville. I must have been several hundreds yards from him and while I wanted to get closer, I chose not to. I could tell he wouldn't have stayed put had I moved toward him, so I let my 300 mm do the work. Just off to the right of me was a guy standing on a short dock throwing out a line. The Heron didn't seem to mind him, but he saw me and I wasn't getting any closer.

The long awaited Christmas holiday has come and gone. It was a great Christmas this year. I spent the holiday with my sister and her husband and family. I have spent holidays with my sister and her family for many years now. She is a fantastic cook and we all exchange gifts and enjoy some dessert afterwards. It was great to see my family. Next stop, New Year's Eve. Are you ready to ring in the New Year. I will probably do what I always do on that evening, spend it at home watching the ball drop. Back soon. ENJOY!

Lunch, Old Hickory Lake

A beautiful Great Blue Heron having lunch on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville. The temps which have been in the high 60's and low 70's, just a mere two weeks from Christmas, are about to drop like a rock, as 20's are predicted for this weekend. BRR! I hear Colorado got a new blanket of snow today. Please share. ENJOY!

Linking to Saturday's Critters and I'd Rather Be Birdin and Wild Bird Wednesdsay

Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge

As wildlife refuges go, Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge is simply that, a wildlife refuge comprised mostly of swamps and bottom land with Lily Pads and Lotus blooms scattered here and there. The 8,000 acres plus wildlife refuge is situated in northwest Tennessee just west of Clarksville, outside of the town of Dover.

The wildlife refuge runs parallel to the Cumberland River so while you drive the main refuge road and view the refuge on one side, in other parts of the refuge you will find the river on one side and the refuge on the other.

One nice thing about this refuge was how it offered photo ops other than the standard wading birds standing in a swamp. There was one large section of land just as you entered the refuge that was covered with blooming Lotus flowers. Unfortunately, I could not get close enough to take better images.

I did manage to capture this Great Blue Heron on the prowl for a meal standing knee deep in the middle of a cornfield. He looked to be on a serious mission so I moved on after clicking a few frames.

The temperatures here in Middle Tennessee, as the locals call it, have stayed in the low 90's for over a week now and do not appear as though they are going to change any time soon. UGH! All one can do is take cover in the air conditioning. I hope wherever you are, you find it cooler than what I am experiencing. Luckily, we have missed the heavy rainful brought on shore by Tropical Storm Bill. Most of that weather moved farther north before turning east. Back soon. ENJOY!

Linking to Our World Tuesday