The heronry is open for business!

On January first Matty and I decided to explore the woods beside our house and see what was there. The woods lead into a protected green space we had never hiked, so we were excited to check out a new area. While walking the banks of a winding creek in a gorge, we stumbled across a small heronry. Was it active? We didn't know. We'd have to wait until late January or early February when male herons returned to their heronries to stake their claim. Rick and I hiked there several times through January to see if anything was happening, but the nests remained empty, until finally, at the beginning of February we started noticing herons flying low over our house! They had to be headed to the heronry! Last summer when we moved in, Big Blue would fly over our house every morning and evening. We assumed he was flying to Lake Isabella or the Little Miami River. Little did we know a secret heronry was his real destination! On Sunday Rick and I set out to see if the heronry was active...it was! We counted 19 herons. We avoided the creek because we didn't want to be under the heronry disturbing the birds (it's much further downstream and very hard to reach, not to mention dangerous!). Instead, we climbed up to a ridge that overlooks a small valley and the creek. The heronry is on the other side. We were really far away, but with a zoom lens and binocs, we could see the activity...

A male heron makes an early stake at a local heronry, his nuptial plumage visible in the fading light of evening.

We were there around 5:00 and the sun was sinking fast so silhouettes were all we could see, but that didn't matter.  It was so exciting knowing Great Blue Herons would be flying regularly over our house all spring and summer. 

A Great Blue Heron circles his nest preparing to land. Even the fading light
can't hide the lovely nuptial feathers silhouetted against the evening sky.

...settling in for the night.

Nuptial plumage...

Nuptial plumage or breeding plumage are the beautiful feathers birds sport on their head and neck during the mating season. Not all birds have nuptial plumage, but herons and egrets are famous for it. Click here for a link to a Little Blue Heron showing beautiful breeding plumage. (I photographed him on Pinckney Island in Hilton Head back in 2011).

At our previous house, we lived three miles from a huge Great Blue Heron heronry. Over the years I posted a lot about that heronry (starting in 2009). Click here for photos of that heronry in full swing! 

When a Little Blue Heron puffs up...

...he really puts on a show! Of all the herons, the Little Blue seems to be most dramatic in his displays. He goes from mild mannered (almost dull) to spectacular in a single breath!

...puffed up and in full breeding plumage, a Little Blue Heron creates a huge splash of color and drama...

...ominous...

...contemplative...

...our mild-mannered Little Blue Heron's alter ego can not be held in check!

...a guardian among birds...

...able to leap anything he wants to!

...until he finally slips back into his mild-mannered Clark Kent in feathers character.

Photographed on 6/8/2011 at the Ibis Pond Rookery on Pinckney Island (Hilton Head, SC).

Click here for all the 2011 Pinckney Island posts.

Painting #71, Snowy Egret with Plumes Flying

Painting 71, Snowy Egret with Plumes Flying

(Quick watercolor sketch, 9x12, Arches Rough 100% Cotton 140 lb paper)

This is one of those milestone paintings because I sketched it and painted it in public--with a lot of people around. Normally I paint by myself, but I knew I was going to have an hour's wait while my son was at a tennis clinic, so after reading Laure Ferlita's post today on all of her travel watercolor palettes, I decided it was time to haul my paints and paper with me and paint. I am a sloppy sketcher, and when I prepare for a watercolor, I normally tone down my heavy-handed sketching, but I didn't have time for that, so I just let my heavy hand go free. The pencil marks show through the paint, but that's okay. It was dark there, and I couldn't see up close very well because I didn't have my little magnifying glasses (uugh...getting older is murder on the eyes. I can't see anything up close anymore). As a result, this little egret's eyes suffered a bit and look outlined. I was going to fix it when I got home but decided to leave it because each painting in the challenge is a learning experience. I'm going to take my paints with me now when I know I'm going to have a long wait so I'll be able to keep practicing painting on the fly...in front of people!

When I paint with acrylics I don't lay a sketch down at all. I just grab the paintbrush and start painting, but watercolors aren't that forgiving so a sketch is necessary! I might try painting this guy in acrylic and see what happens. I took the photo I used as a reference for this painting when I was in Florida this spring (it's posted here). The Snowy Egret was in his breeding plumage and the wind had whipped those beautiful plumes on his head in the air. He had just caught the little silvery fish, and I was lucky enough to snap the photo just in time.