Little Blues, like their cousin the Great Blue Heron, are solitary birds. And yet lately they have been all around the local swamps. Not gathering in a flock, but still around each corner or pond there has been at least one.
They keep coming in like this mating season should be very interesting, and crowded.
A Great Blue from the other morning on a stick run.
This year the Herons have been gathering materials along the edge of the swamp instead of the nearby woods. This makes it easier for open shots like this. They will pick this clean in short order though.
The old dirt roads look very different in fog like this.
After checking weather forecasts we went out before light, planning on shooting the sunrise around a marsh. Pretty quick we realized we needed a ‘Plan B’.
It’s between 4 – 5 miles of dirt roads to the large open water marshes. A slow trip, even more so today. Besides the fog we kept jumping out to shoot another scenic location.
This is why we both have two cameras when out like this. Many photographers would have a traditional landscape setup ready. Ellen and I however always use a second zoom, though shorter, because you just never know what you might find.
Ellen will have a Canon 18-200, I will have an Olympus 12-200. I guess we still have some FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out.🤣🤣.
When I was trying to photograph Herons in flight, and a passing Osprey, this Alligator swam by. Typical, everything all at once.
The day was warmer and sun was out in the center of the pond. The small gator swam alongside the waters edge though, maybe 20 feet from the bank. My guess is his first destination was the dry land I was on. Most will move on for another spot, though some just stop and wait for me to leave.
Best viewed large.
Always something going on to photograph.
This was a ‘which way do I look’ moment. The Herons were flying low, and I heard an Osprey flying high.
Of course I went for both.
Osprey fishing in the swamp pond is not all that common. The duck weed and other surface plants make for poor visibility. Once in a while they do check out the area though.
I followed the Osprey and ran a few short bursts. There was more action at the swamp level with the Herons and Egrets.
During the US Revolutionary War, British troops used the church as a depot. As they retreated, the church and stores were burned in 1781. The church was repaired, however during the US Civil War it was again damaged / burned.
I have had these shots for a few weeks now but the Great Blues in the swamps have over shadowed most everything else.
This series was taken from a dike road in the Donnelley wildlife area, ACE Basin.
The first image on it’s own doesn’t have much excitement. However added to the ending of the series, the birds landing right over head, it became more important.
Only two of the big pink birds here. However I liked catching them come in and land like they did. Not something you see every day.
I had been hoping this bird was coming in to land. When they do it can be pretty dramatic. They tend to pull their wings back and ‘slide’ along to a dead stop. Makes for a great action shot.
However, a slow fly by is still OK. It’s early in the season.
