Two days ago Nashville was covered in a sheet of ice and four inches of snow. Then the weather heard our pleas and today as the temperature rose to almost 60 degrees, the ice and snow melted. I just had to get out and take a quick drive. I had been wanting to visit Old Hickory Lake so off I went. Old Hickory is north of my new digs. I had read that Shutes Branch Recreation Area on the lake was great for bird watching. As I approached the area, there were numerous sailboats, fishing boats and kayakers out on the lake.
One of the reasons I wanted to come to Shutes Branch was to see the Heron Rookery. The rookery sits on an island across from the parking lot at Shutes Branch and as luck would have it it was clearly visible, albeit at a distance.
At first I attempted to count the Herons and then I realized there were just too many. There were Herons flying in, flying out, sitting on their nests. You name it there were Herons doing it. Keep in mind that these images show only a partial view of the rookery. Sorry for the quality as I had to crop these to get a better view of some of the Herons on their nests.
I took a few images of one of the Herons fishing off the shore on Shutes Branch.
Have I mentioned that since I moved to Tennessee it has been bitterly cold with sleet, freezing rain and ice, not to mention several snowfalls. If I didn't know better, I would swear I brought Kentucky's weather with me. And I might also mention how happy I was not to be in Kentucky this week as they got anywhere from 17 to 24 inches of snow. Tomorrow we move the clocks forward one hour. Spring arrives March 20th. I can't wait. ENJOY!
One of the reasons I wanted to come to Shutes Branch was to see the Heron Rookery. The rookery sits on an island across from the parking lot at Shutes Branch and as luck would have it it was clearly visible, albeit at a distance.
At first I attempted to count the Herons and then I realized there were just too many. There were Herons flying in, flying out, sitting on their nests. You name it there were Herons doing it. Keep in mind that these images show only a partial view of the rookery. Sorry for the quality as I had to crop these to get a better view of some of the Herons on their nests.
I took a few images of one of the Herons fishing off the shore on Shutes Branch.
Have I mentioned that since I moved to Tennessee it has been bitterly cold with sleet, freezing rain and ice, not to mention several snowfalls. If I didn't know better, I would swear I brought Kentucky's weather with me. And I might also mention how happy I was not to be in Kentucky this week as they got anywhere from 17 to 24 inches of snow. Tomorrow we move the clocks forward one hour. Spring arrives March 20th. I can't wait. ENJOY!
Nice pix of the rookery; should be interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteSo many herons, lovely close-up, and what a great place to visit. Are you settling in OK? Down here, rain, hail, thunderstorms, huge winds, and our daylight saving ( what a misnomer,, how can you save it??) ends on April 5th, and begins again September 27th. You will be so happy to have more sunlight in the mornings as spring is near.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see this rookery. You have certainly had an unusual winter in the south this year. At least the snow is now gone. Enjoy the week.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I thought of you when I heard how much snow Louisville was getting. You just missed it! This new area looks like a fabulous place to explore. Love the heron's "hairstyle" in the last photo.
ReplyDeleteIn the years that we have been watching herons at our local wetlands, we've only seen one sitting in a tree once! Wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting location Carol.
ReplyDeleteYou've certainly had your share of bad weather. Hopefully the rain will soon give way to some decent Spring sunshine for you.