As the Herons gather more nesting material they start to forage further from the rookery. It doesn’t take long for all the easy sticks to be taken.
These are big birds, yet they fly between and around trees and grasses with little problem.
This is just about the perfect time of year to photograph Great Blue Herons in flight. Some afternoons they are non stop.
A Great Blue Heron waiting for a mate. Taken in morning sun light.
If the males arrive in a rookery too early there is a lot of waiting, and called, and waiting again.
If the weather suddenly gets cold females don’t feel the need to hurry.
Boys being boys they don’t get it. If my call doesn’t work, I’ll call louder.
Still nothing…
There is a spot in this swamp that Great Blue Herons can sit, gather nesting material, or just hide.
When here they can be missed since your attention is suddenly focused on the open water and rookery area in front of you.
The photographs there are best shot a little wide (for me a lot wide at times) to capture the thick trees, colors, and moss.
The beginning of mating season. A male Great Blue Heron calling for his mate.
Hearing this mournful sound, in the evening, makes this a special photograph to me.
Part of the initial mating ritual for the male Great Blue Heron is to bring the ‘perfect’ stick to his new mate.
Part of the female ritual is to throw a few away.
It’s going to be a busy 4 months so she needs to set the rules right from the start.
The word got out about low water in the rice fields. Amazing how quickly they all find out.
There were even Ring-billed Gulls that came up river to join the locals.
There were plenty of White Ibis and Egrets.
This marsh area is big so not all the birds flocked together.
Great Egrets and especially Herons tend to stay off on their own. Above you can see, on the left, the long tail of another looking to feed.
There was no construction here but the Heron looked to be staking out his spot.
The early arrivals will have their choice of the prime real estate.
