Sunday, July 29, 2012

Florida’s Great Blue Heron

There are some huge pine trees here in this part of Florida.

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Can you spot the nest?

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What builds a nest THIS BIG?

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The Great Blue Heron!

PMHeron

What a joy to see a pair of herons build their nest at the park this summer.

I wish you could hear the sounds they make. It reminded us of a swan or maybe a goose squawking.

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I’m joining Mary for Mosaic Monday

and Diane for Beautiful Sunday

and Sunny Simple Sunday !

Have you had a chance to get outside and enjoy nature this summer?

63 comments:

Diane Writes said...

Am I the first comment? I hope so :D wow for that huge nest. i always love nests as it symbolizes home and new life for me. Thank you linking up again namemate. You just don't know how much you make me happy.

Have a great week! Sunday is about to finish here.

Unknown said...

I have never seen their nest before!! We have a few in the pond next to us. Now I will be on the look out.
Great pictures!!
As you know, it's been quit warm here in Florida. Did some yard work yesterday and thought I was going to die..but I didn't!!
More today..

PatC - All is Bright said...

Wow! I've never seen a nest that big! Guess not all things are bigger in Texas! lol. Beautiful pictures.

hugs,
Pat

Vee said...

Wow! That is huge! Glad that you're enjoying the "music" they make. ☺

The Boston Lady said...

All these years (35) I've lived in Florida and I've never seen a Blue Heron Nest. For some reason I thought they would nest on the ground. How wonderful that you were able to follow the progress. I am really going to miss Florida's water birds. Ann

jody said...

how to see those huge nests and what a cool bird! you'll to check on them! great give aways! love the shame in your lanai! and looks like some great books to read on a hot summer day! enjoy your day!

Sunny Simple Life said...

You and I are a lot alike. I just love nature and bird watching. That bird is amazing and the size of its nest. It is a wonder that it doesn't fall from the tree. They must know what they are doing. Thanks for sharing this.

RURAL said...

They are such huge and graceful birds, everytime I see one I feel like I have had a special moment with nature.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Unknown said...

Hi Diane,
Love the photos. I've seen lots of herons while fishing but I don't think I've ever seen a nest! Its huge! Also, love the pillow shams on your previous post. Looking at those water pics makes me want to go swimming today after church!
Hugs from me and Wilma

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

How beautiful! I love watching these lovely creatures! Thank you for the visit also!

cucki said...

wowwwwwwwwww they are so huge and so beautiful too.
have fun xxx

Barbara F. said...

That is a huge nest! With the pine trees it doesn't look like Florida. xo

helen tilston said...

Hello Diane
I love the images you provide. The nest is shabby chic maybe?
I love Herons and lovely to see them in pairs, I seem to spot the solitary ones.

Helenxx

Olive said...

We could not get that nest under a cloche.

Robyn said...

Wow thats a huge nest!.. It is beautiful..
Robyn

Ames said...

Wll I'll be! We have so many birds around the pond behind us but I never thought about where they nest. Duh! Amazing. ~Ames

Chatty Crone said...

I did not see the nest in the first picture - but in the last one I did - and it was huge! Very nice. sandie

Unknown said...

Herons are so beautiful! I love how you have these beautiful birds in your backyard! :)

Hugs,

Linda @ A La Carte said...

That is so cool! I love birds and seeing a big next like that is fun! It's been pretty hot here but I'm hoping to get out more this fall. Hugs, Linda

Brenda Pruitt said...

That's one big nest! Wonder how big the eggs are?
Brenda

Donna said...

Haha, that's a funny one, walking on the tree branch!

Donna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
flyingbeader said...

WOW. I had no idea they had their nest in trees. I thought they were like swans & near the water. Amazing. I see them all the time during our dog walks as we have a creek that has been left to go natural through our neighborhoods. I see the cranes there sometimes but never heard them...so they squawk...didn't know that either

HIBISCUS HOUSE said...

Hi I now follow you and really like your blog. Thanks for stopping by Hibiscus House and come back anytime. I am going to look around a little bit now.
Dolly

cynthia lee designs said...

Wow...that is a big nest!! We see a heron all the time here down by the river, but I've never seen a nest before.

Simply Shelley said...

Well,we have lots of pines in my woods here in East Texas,but I don't think we have any with Herons building their nest in them :)
Blessings Diane

Musings from Kim K. said...

Whenever we go fishing, my husband scouts for blue herons. Such handsome birds.

Pendleton Primitives said...

Thanks for sharing the photos. We are considering moving to Florida and my kids would love to see a nest that large!
~Christina

ellen b. said...

That is so great to capture the heron in the tree. There's a section of trees behind a park n ride here in town where the herons nest...
Have a great week!

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Wow, that is some nest Diane. I would love to be able to listen to those unusual birds.
Hugs,
Jann

highheeledlife said...

Great photos and how wonderful to have experienced this miracle in nature. We often see Blue Herons fly over our property and the odd one or two lands by the stream, but I have never seen a nest .. that is huge!! HHL

Elegant Economies said...

Beautiful Huge Nest! I love Herons....thank you for showing us their nest!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

What a treasure you have in these pictures! You must be very excited !! I know I would be!! Wishing you well! Cathy

Snap said...

The great blue is one of my favorite birds. Love your shots and a nest! Wonderful!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Hi Diane
Nice to finally see one of their nests. We have them in the trees by the pond of our arboretum but I've yet to spy home sweet home. I think they sound a little like the honk of a swan but for the most part, they're quiet and sneaky around our backyard pond.
Judith

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Beautiful post.
We have Great Blue Herons in Missouri. We had them on our pond at the farm and there is one on our docks here at the lake. We've only seen the one back in our cove. There were 2 that we know of at the farm. They definitely have their own way of speaking that is for sure.

Kim, USA said...

I spot the nest right away it is huge. Thanks for stopping by at my site I do appreciate it.


Kim,USA

The French Hutch said...

Hi Diane, what a huge nest! I have never seen one like that. I go to Florida and now I will have to start looking for Blue Heron nests. Great mosaic and photographs.
Have a great week.

~Emily
The French Hutch

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Great shots, Diane! I love watching the blue herons. We have them here in Missouri and occasionally I'll see one flying in to land near our pond and watch it walk down to it and it'll stand for a very long time in the same spot! I guess it's waiting patiently for a fish to swim by.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Fun! Reminds me that when we first went to Florida I was shocked that there were pine trees -- I expected all palms....(don't laugh -- I never do any research about places where we're going -- that's Bill's job) ...so it's all fresh and new to me. So I just thought Florida was well, you know, Miami Beach. I was SO pleasantly surprised. (And you know I loved it since we live there all winter now!)....love great blue herons and can't see to much of them -- or of their rookeries. Thanks.

NanaDiana said...

OMGOSH- Aren't they beautiful? And LOOK at that NEST! I could raise SweetCheeks in there! Well, except for the potty situation! xo Diana

Lorrie said...

I love Great Blue Herons, standing on their spindly legs in the water. And their nests are amazing. Great photos.

Enjoy your week.

Yael at Home Garden Diggers said...

I live in the Pacific Northwest and there are lots of blue herons here. I was used to seeing them on the ground in swampy areas, so I always thought they nested in the grass or rushes. How astounded I was when I saw several blue herons light in a tree a few hundred feet from me and saw their nest. They are beautiful and amazing birds. I love seeing them fly overhead.

Yael from Home Garden Diggers

Stewart M said...

Hi there - thanks for the comments. That is a large heron! I saw one of a similar size when I was away last month – now I’m going to have to find out if they are the same species!

I was, to say the least, surprised when I saw the starfish. I had seen starfish like this in shops - but I assumed that they were dyed.

Stewart M - Melbourne

Diana Taylor said...

Wow, fabulous photos - our Herons in the UK are a bit smaller than that but they still always look to me like they are too big to nest in trees and should perhaps be in amongst the reeds along a river!

Donna Heber said...

Oh, I just love Herons and I see them when I visit my brother in Virginia. I have never seen one of their nests before. Great photos.

Leslie said...

I wondered where Heron's nested!! great photos!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Diane! Oh, this is amazing! That is one big nest and how amazing you saw this to share with us! Great you got the Heron too.
Be a sweetie and have a great week.
Shelia ;)

Life Images by Jill said...

amazing nests! The herons come and roost every night in the trees around the swamp at the back of my dad's place. Oh what a clamoring for a spot!
Have a wonderful week.

Denise at Forest Manor said...

Wow, these are great photos, Diane! I've never seen a nest like this before! I have seen these Herons occasionally, but how exciting to see them actually building their nest!!

Thanks so much for sharing this and have a great week.

Denise

Anne said...

Wow those birds are really huge. You wouldn't think that they wouldn make nests so high up. Have a nice day.

Introverted Art said...

Gorgeous! How's the weather up there? South Florida is so hot even inside with AC feels scalding hot.

debra said...

That is some nest! Great capture...love the photographs!

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Oh yes, I see the nest, and how wonderful your images. We have GBHerons here,and I know they nest, but we have never gotten close~

Anonymous said...

It's always fun to see the beautiful pictures of the places you live. That is one huge nest, but maybe it looks so large since we don't see too many birds that large here. Hope you are doing well this week!

koralee said...

Wow..this is amazing! These birds are beautiful..thank you for sharing.

Mary said...

Wow that is a large bird...and so cool to have a nest easily seen. I should not be amazed at the difference in flora and fona...after all, our locations are 1000's of miles away. You can read all the geography books you want...but when the friendly blog world shares...I notice. It is very real to me. Thanks you Diane, what a great post.

Trace4J said...

How cool.
Thanks for sharing girlfriend.
I have a heron that flies over my land every evening.
Simple Joy.
Hugs
Trace

www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com

Emily said...

Hi Diane :-)
I just wanted to tell you, you were the winner of my giveaway! I sent you an email but just in case you didn't get it, I thought I'd mention it here too :-)
I just need your address to mail your prize to-if you email me at DesignAndNonsense@hotmail.co.uk and I'll get it to you sharpish!

Emily @ Design and Nonsense

Icy BC said...

Amazing..and such a blessing to see them building the nest! Your mosaic is just awesome!

Mary said...

Oooooeee. I love the new header with beach and unbrella. Happy herons, too.

Sam I Am...... said...

Thanks for sharing that as I love nature! I'd never seen their nests before so that was really interesting. Beautiful bird!

Holly said...

Oh, I love herons. When I saw the post was about herons, I just had to stop! Heard a sermon on herons once and have since been inspired by their patience AND elegance.
xo
Holly