Tracking Sandhill Cranes

Every year as Fall and Winter approaches, I am reminded of one of my favorite bird species flying the friendly skies over the Midwest and South. As they fly over cities and towns and farmlands, you may not always see them at first, but you will definitely hear them coming as they sound off with their unique sqawk.

This first image I had never posted. As I prepared this post, I wanted to share an image I hadn't previously.

The Sandhill Cranes begin their journey farther north in Canada each Fall and slowly travel thousands of miles south along the eastern edges of the Mississippi Migratory Flyway. Many eventually end up in Hiawasee Wildlife Refuge in southeast Tennessee.

In this image, it was a sky blue day and late afternoon sun was highlighting the beautiful tips of the Sandhill's wings.

However, they stop multiple times along the way to rest and feed in plowed cornfields in the Midwest. The Sandhill Cranes are a beautiful majestic bird standing some 5' tall and spanning a width even longer.

Almost devoid of color, the late afternoon sky was pale white as the Sandhill Cranes flew over. Only the slightest hint of warm sun highlighted their wings.

One of the many resting places each year on their annual journey south, finds them in the thousands in Ewing Bottoms, just west of Seymour, Indiana. Here they rest, feed and continue their mating ritual dances in an effort to attain a forever life mate.

One of my favorite images of all the photographs I have captured of the Sandhill Cranes. I love the detail you can see in the feathers and the body of this majestic bird. Best of all when you capture an image and can see their beautiful red eyes clearly. That's the best.

They move around the cornfields in Ewing Bottoms and near the river bed foraging and flying in and out daily. They may rest here for several weeks, but they always move on flying further south to warmer climes. I captured these images and many more over a two year period honing my skills in phohtographing the Cranes in their natural habitat.

Their red foreheads, long, sleek legs, gray feathers, dotted with rusty spots, are all characteristic of their appearance. If you decide to track the Sandhill Crane, know these birds have rights too. I hope you will respect that as you attempt to photograph them. Always keep your distance. You will know if you are too close, as they will slowly walk away from you. Knowing this, you can get some wonderful photographs if you know when to snap.

From mating rituals to foraging to landing and liftoff. I hope you enjoyed this look back. I hope to be able to visit Hiawasee in southeast Tennessee this January before the Sandhill Cranes move back north. We shall see. I'll be back soon.

Photographer's Note: I met with a Wildlife Resources Officer for Tennessee today at Old Hickory Lake. He confirms the Sandhill Cranes are now moving north back to their breeding grounds. A tad early albeit, but case in fact.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!

Egrets, Egrets & More Egrets

Oddly enough, at the beginning of Spring Great Blue Herons seemed to occupy the majority of the nests at the Heron Rookery on Old Hickory Lake, along with a few Black Cormorants and Black Crowned Night Herons, and nary a Great White Egret. Fast forward to this week and it's all about the Great White Egrets. They were plentiful at the rookery.

The Egrets were busy flying in and out and in and out of the rookery. And at times creating havoc as they flew in. I'm guessing this guy didn't have clearance from the tower for this landing.

I love to photograph these gorgeous birds as they are so regal looking with their solid white physiques. Hope your week is going well. It's a balmy 81 with virtually no humidity tonight here in Tennessee and I am super happy about it. ENJOY!

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!

Sandhill Crane Watch

It has been several years since I have been able to photograph the beautiful Sandhill Cranes that use Kentucky as a flyway on their way South to Hiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, in southeast Tennessee, and points further South. Today was one of those days. I was on my way home after a brief visit to Louisville to take care of some business with my condo there. Earlier in the week I had read on the aba.bird.org website that over ten thousand Cranes had stopped over south of Elizabethtown in Cecilia for a rest.

I have photographed the Cranes in Cecilia several years ago. It's not easy getting decent images as the Cranes are normally far off in plowed corn fields feeding. But just as I was leaving, I noticed a group of Cranes near a pond in a yard off the highway. I managed to capture these images getting as close as I could without disturbing the Cranes.

I can't help it, Sandhill Cranes, to me, are so beautiful. Hiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is almost two hours from my home in northeast Nashville. Some day I shall pay a visit. I also read on the same website this week that there are thousands and thousands of Cranes overwintering at the refuge. It won't be long before they will fly north to their nesting grounds in Canada. I would love to see a nest one day and the smaller chicks. What fun that would be. I trust you are having a wonderful weekend. It's been very cold here, but there's a warm up on the way this week. ENJOY!

A Day at the Heron Rookery

It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine, blue skies and fluffly white clouds. There was, however, a crisp wind cutting through you as you stood outdoors. Nevertheless, it was a perfect day for viewing the Great Blue Herons perched on their nests at the Heron Rookery on Old Hickory Lake. I ate lunch in the car and finally got out to snap a few images of the Herons flying around the Rookery. Then it was back to work.

There must have been twenty Great Blue Herons hanging out in their roosts while others flew in and out. One can only get so close and then you must stop so as not to disturb them.

I stood away from the Rookery capturing images as the birds flew in and out of their nests. There was no evidence really of nest building. I suppose it's still a tad early for that. I'm almost certain there are a lot more nests than what I recall seeing at this time last year.

Several Great Blue Herons flew down the lake and back as I captured images.

I recall capturing images of some of the first hatchlings out of the nest in late Spring last year. I wonder if some of the Herons I saw today were those same birds as young adults. Surely.

More visits are planned in the weeks ahead as Spring approaches. In all honesty, Tennessee hasn't had Winter here at all this year. I can only assume Winter is still to come. We always get a snowfall or two and perhaps even an ice storm. I hope you enjoyed my visit to the Rookery today. 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!

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!

Out of the Nest

One of the many juvenile Great Blue Herons who have called the Heron Rookery on Old Hickory Lake their home this Spring is finally out of the nest. He has to make his way in the world. Can you imagine? As he stood motionless for probably half an hour, his parents stood close guard over him, both Mom and Dad. Finally, he flew off. I love his scruffy headed look. It's as though he just got up out of bed. And in some ways he had. He only stood about a foot tall in comparison to his 3 foot tall parents. We kept our distance from the threesome so as not to scare him or them. The rookery was a busy place with Egrets, and Black Crowned and Great Blues coming and going. ENJOY!

Heron Hotel

After several failed attempts, due to weather, I was finally able to hold the Bird Photography Workshop today. The weather could not have been more perfect. The temperature was in the low 80's and there was a nice breeze that seemed to pick up as the day went on. It goes without saying photo after photo after photo was taken in and around Old Hickory Lake. We photographed Great Blue Herons, Great White Egrets, Black Crowned Night Herons, Canadian Geese, Goslings, Mallards, Osprey, and well, you get the picture.

At our last stop at Lock 4 Park in Gallatin, just north of Hendersonville on Old Hickory Lake, I captured this image of the Heron Rookery. This rookery totally escaped my mind until Martha, a charming lady in the workshop, pointed it out to me. At the Heron Rookery in Hendersonville, watching the ladies in the workshop snapping photos was a lot of fun. They had a great time capturing images of an immature Great Blue Heron standing her the shoreline while its Mom and Dad were on guard not too far away. Great company and a great time was had by all. I wanted to share this particular image as every time I see it it reminds me of a hotel what with the various levels of heron nests, hence, the name the Heron Hotel. Hope you are having a great weekend and the weather is cooperative wherever you are. ENJOY!

Spring Mating

Standing a good distance away from the Heron Rookery yesterday, I couldn't quite make out a bird sitting on a nest high up in the tree. My binoculars were on the fritz which didn't help either. I did see several Great Blue Herons in various nests. And to my surprise, I saw one pair of Great White Egrets. I had only seen one or two Egrets so far this year and very intermittently. Now I know why. They have been busy breeding and now obviously were in the middle of a remodeling project.

When I finally dropped these images into my software, I discovered the illusive bird or birds, in this case, were a pair of Black Crowned Night Herons sitting on the nest. I wasn't sure where this species normally built their nests. I also wasn't sure if they nested near Great Blue Herons or Great White Egrets. Mystery solved. I believe this pair of smaller Herons set up shop in the past week as there was no evidence of them on my last visit. There also weren't any Egrets present. Busy rookery to say the least. Mating, breeding, nest building. Amazing.

It was simply a gorgeous day today, albeit the temps were in the high 70's, Thankfully, the humidity hasn't found its way to Tennessee as yet. A nice breeze was blowing. The sky was blue with the occasional white fluffy cloud. Great weather and beautiful birds busy with the task at hand. I can only hope when a few of these fledglings are ready to leave the nest, I can capture a few images. In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. We have two full days of sunshine and warm temperatures ahead. Finally, a weekend with absolutely no rain. Miracles never cease. ENJOY!

Nests, Heron Rookery

On the day I captured these images weeks ago, this Heron Rookery was busy with male Herons flying in carrying twigs and flying out to forage for more nest building materials. I experienced this up close and personal and felt privileged to be a witness to it all. There was only one Heron sitting in one of the nests. Her nest may have been complete and she was incubating her eggs or perhaps she was just resting waiting for the male to return with more twigs. Below is a bit of detail regarding Heron Nest Building you might like to read.

NEST PLACEMENT. Great Blue Herons nest mainly in trees, on the ground, on bushes and even in duck blinds. Males arrive at the colony and settle on nest sites to begin courting passing females. NEST BUILDING. Male Great Blue Herons collect the nest material gathering sticks from the ground and presenting them to the female. The female weaves a platform and a saucer-shaped nest cup, lining it with pine needles, moss, reeds, dry grass, or small twigs. Nest building takes 3 days to 2 weeks. Finished, the nest can range from 20 inches to more elaborate structures reaching 4 feet across.

Old Hickory Lake is the perfect place for bird rookeries with lots of coves and inlets situated throughout it and low lying areas with dead tree branches sticking up out of the water making for the perfect perch to forage for fish.

The weather across the Midwest and South today looks to be wet and stormy and possibly some hail in certain areas. I have noticed since moving north of my original Hermitage location that Hendersonville gets less severe storms. I'm wondering if it has to do with the Cumberland River which I am now north of instead of south of. Tomorrow is looking to be a better day for some sunshine and warm temps. ENJOY!

UPDATE: My sister, Linda, called yesterday. I was speechless, as I heard her voice. In my last post I mentioned she suffered a trauma. She fell down a flight of steps, 15 deep, while on vacation in Florida. She sounded like her old usual self yesterday, but I know better. She has a long, long grueling recovery ahead of her as she mentioned to me. She has several fractures in her neck and two in her back, not to mention a bad concussion and possibly a hand injury. I can only hope and pray for her recovery. So again I ask will you keep her in your prayers as I am. Get well Linda!

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

Black Crowned Night Heron

Off of Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville sits a tributary called Drakes Creek which runs north toward Kentucky. This particular creek is very wide. It follows a road I sometimes frequent when running errands as was the task today. I stopped along the creek road to check out the wildlife only to discover on the opposite bank of the creek a Black Crowned Night Heron. This is a Life List Bird for me. I have seen countless images of this bird but had never seen one before. Turns out there were three Black Crowned Night Herons about three feet apart from each other standing on the side of the opposite bank and they appeared very busy fishing.

This is the best image I have of the few I captured. This particular species appears so similar to the Great Blue Heron. The Audubon website described the Black Crowned Night Heron as 'these chunky herons which seem dull and lethargic, usually in groups sitting hunched and motionless in trees near water.' As I sat in my car snapping a few images, I saw a flash of blue fly by. I followed the bird to a branch far off and after a look through the binoculars, a Belted Kingfisher. I was so excited, but before I could think to grab my camera he flew off back the other direction far away. I would love to get a closer look at this particular species. I think when it's warmer I will take a walk along Drakes Creek. It's official, I think I'm actually feeling back to normal after nearly a week of being under the weather. I hope your first week was a good one. Winter has finally made its way to Tennessee. This morning was 16 degrees. I hate to say it, but I enjoyed the warm December we had. ENJOY!

Pair of Great White Egrets

All along Old Hickory Lake which is part of the Cumberland River that runs through downtown Nashville and northeast to Hendersonville and Gallatin, there are many small tributaries where you can view the many species of waterfowl that make this lake their home. There are also many species who migrate through on their way North or South during Spring and Fall.

It was mid May and as I was on my way home for the day, I spotted quite a few Great White Egrets gathered in one of the backwater tributaries of Old Hickory Lake situated next to the main road. It was late day and harsh light, but I got out of my car and stood and counted 26 Great White Egrets in that one area. It was an amazing sight. My 300 mm just couldn't get close enough to get the images I had hoped for, but I wanted to share one of the images with you. I have been way under the weather since New Year's Day, but wanted to share this first image of the New Year with you. ENJOY!

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!