Best of Birding 2017

It has been a slow year for me from a photography standpoint, but I have managed to get out and take some photographs especially of birds. Here are my top three picks for bird photography for 2017.

No. 1: In February, I captured this image of a Sandhill Crane migrating south for the Winter in Cecilia, Kentucky foraging for food next to a pond. The thing I like best about these birds are how large they are and, in spite of that, still seem so utterly delicate.

No. 2: This beauty was added to my Birding Life List. This Summer Tanager was up and down on the branches of the Crab Apple trees in Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, Tennessee, grabbing seed after seed and swallowing each one whole. I managed to capture this image before this seed went down the hatch. The depths of red on this tiny little creative is just mesmerizing.

No. 3: I just added this image in the past two weeks as the American White Pelicans had made a stop over on their migration route south on Old Hickory Lake, in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Virtually right out my front door. The Pelicans, to my delight, are still here on the lake. What I wouldn't give if they would stay and overwinter here allowing me photos ops aplenty.

I'll post my best landscape and flower image(s) in a few days. In the meantime, I hope you are getting your decorating on. My tree is up and lit and adorning my living room with wreaths and table decorations all around. I decorate in the classic red and green colors as it brings such a beautiful uplifting feeling in Winter, when there are numerous gloomy days. I hope you are having a fantastic week. We're heading into the weekend. 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!

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!

Bird Behavior

This was the perfect weekend to visit Murfree Spring Wetlands. Blue skies, bright sunshine, no humidity. I usually walk along the boardwalk shifting from one side of the walkway to the other while scouring the swamp for any sign of movement.

What I wasn't expecting was to find a Yellow Crowned Night Heron fishing in the middle of the swamp in the back of the wetland. He was very intent on the task at hand and didn't mind one bit that I stood on the boardwalk and took photos. He would stand straight up, then lean over. Then he would lift up one foot and take a step. Then he would lift up another and drop it. Then ..... pounce!

He was in and out of the water so fast, I couldn't even get a decent image. Yet, there he was hanging on to a crayfish.

Gotta get this crayfish in just the right position so he can swallow it, no doubt whole.

After several catches, the Heron decides its high time for a preening session which included some 'under the hood' work. Amazing. If I didn't know better I would swear he was trying to play hike and seek with me. Hope you had a great weekend. ENJOY!

The Life of a Great White Egret

First, the back story on this area. Two lakes meander through east Nashville. The northern lake is Old Hickory Lake while the southern lake is Percy Priest Lake. Both lakes are born out of two rivers. The northern river is the Cumberland River while the southern river is the Stones River. Old Hickory Lake is situated northeast of Nashville winding snake like east to west. Priest Lake is situated in southeast Nashville and runs north to south and can be quite wide. 

Hendersonville lies directly north of Old Hickory Lake which is where I photographed on this day. The small town of Hendersonville was made famous when Johnny Cash, one of America's iconic country music stars, made it his home late in life. Now the area is dotted with many country music stars' homes. The town itself lies about 50 miles northeast of downtown Nashville.

On this particular afternoon I drove to Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville to photograph the beautiful Great White Egret. I had seen several throughout the area. The sun was bright on this day and the Egret basically waded through what seemed about a foot of water on Old Hickory Lake near Drakes Creek Park. The Egret was a tad bit away for a really decent image, but then he lifted up out of the water.

And as luck would have it, he had spotted a large branch sticking up out of the water closer to me and landed on top of the branch. What a perfect place to perch and take a rest while at the same time keeping an eagle eye out for fish.

As the Egret settled in, I realized that he was sporting breeding plumage noted by the small patch of neon green skin on his face. I imagine long plumes called aigrettes will grow from his back further into the  breeding season. Imagine if you will the life of a Great White Egret. One of the largest wading birds on the planet, with few animals to stalk you as prey, your day comprised of flying from one location to the next, wading shallow waters of lakes and swamps, occasionally fishing when hunger sets in. As evening approaches you settle in for the night. What a life don't you think? ENJOY!

Linking to Saturday Critters

American Bittern or Green Heron

Every now and then a new bird species sneaks up on me. I admit I don't know birds and I am not embarrassed by that fact. One has to learn before they can be an 'expert'. As I become educated on the many species of wading birds, I find myself totally amazed at not just the subtle, but also the more obvious differences in the Heron species. I study birds by photographing them in their habitat in varying seasons and later reading about their variations of size and color and behavior. The Heron species vary widely in shape and color, but they also vary in how they use their surrounding habitat. I discovered this new species of Heron, new to me, the American Bittern, as he was wading among the tall, dense reeds along the marshes that parallel the motor route in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.



This particular species of Heron is smaller and stockier. Unlike the Great Blue Heron who is often seen standing in open water, the American Bittern prefers to stay hidden among the reeds in freshwater marshes. They are found mainly inland, but can also be found along the coast, as coastal marshes tend not to freeze during the colder winter months. I intently watched and photographed this Bittern for a while observing him wading in the mud on the parameter of the marsh. At times he would stretch his neck, standing straight up, and peer over the marsh reeds.



At other times, he seemed to crouch while cautiously wading out into the water, but mainly he stuck to his characteristic hidden stance near the reeds, out of sight to most.



My first thought when viewing these images initially was this was a Green Heron. But not being totally satisfied I investigated other heron species and discovered this was the American Bittern. I love learning bird behavior by watching them, and on this day, I discovered while the larger Herons typically stand still surveying the waters around them, oftentimes long necks extended, the smaller Bittern tends to move about more even though he's within close proximity to the marsh reeds. The larger Herons have a bird's eye view as they are so tall. But hey, when you're a smaller species, I guess you have to compensate. Have you seen the American Bittern in your travels? I never had. I personally think he's fascinating and hope to have another opportunity one day to photograph the Bittern again. Hope your weekend is a great one. ENJOY!

POSTSCRIPT: Do you think this is a Green Heron or an American Bittern? I have a reader who feels that my first thought of a Green Heron was accurate and I don't necessarily disagree with his thought. Why? Because that's what blogging is all about . . . learning. And in this case I'm middle of the road as to what species I photographed. But I love the fact that someone had a different opinion, because that means I've got folks thinking. And again that's what blogging is all about . . . learning, thinking. How wonderful is that!