Great Blue heading back to a Cypress nesting tree. Males will collect sticks for months. After the nest is built it needs constant work. Not talented builders the nest falls apart, especially after the chicks get big.
One way we can capture shots like this is to watch the birds ‘flight path’. They always have a favorite place for sticks, and the return flight will get into a set routine. As the trees fill out with foliage the Heron needs to have an open path, through the tree limbs, to the nest. If they miss a path on returning the bird will actually circle away and try the same path again. Crashing into a limb can be dangerous to them.
How dedicated they are to their nest building, amazing.
It’s constant…and they must feed chicks too so always out hunting.
Amazing to me they can get those big wings in some of those tight branch situations. Have not had a lot of chances, but did get to spend a bit of time at a rookery in Texas this year – I could have used your advice and taken note of their stick hording path as I was struggling to get anything in the tin.
It took me a while to figure it out. We have rookeries just down the road so it’s really a matter of getting my butt moving than anything else. Lots of practice.