Saturday, February 6, 2021

Sandhill Cranes Point the Way!


 We stood in the driveway to leave for a day trip to the Gulf Coast and looked up to see these Sandhill Cranes.


About 40 Sandhills pointing the way!


(The outline of this formation looks like a bird)

So let's go.

 ( beautiful scenes along the way are in my previous post)


We spotted 2 Pelicans from the bridge


and one took flight while we passed.


Let's continue across the bridge. 


Now we are at the water's edge in time to watch a Great Blue Heron fly over and perch close by.


The boat launch is popular for birds.


A kayak is ready to launch with a Great White Egret standing nearby.


He's a beauty, isn't he.


And willing to pose for pics!

A Seagull is on a little gravel bar in the water....


and other boats are enjoying a winter day in Florida with the temps in the 70s.


A few more scenes to enjoy!


I could stay all day! 


I have my camera...where's my chair! lol


I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’. 


44 comments:

Martha said...

Beautiful shots! That Great White Egret is gorgeous. He looks just like my occasional backyard visitor we call Big Bird :)

Tom said...

...a beautiful bird that I have never seen in the wild. Enjoy your weekend.

MadSnapper said...

i see you used my favorite photo of the marsh for your header. love it.. love the kayak shot and herons are so funny lifting off and landing from flight.we get egrets in our yard every now and then, fun to watch while they focus on lizards for their breakfast. Pelicans are my favorite bird, it is because they are so ugly they are cute and they are fascianting to watch in flight. have never seen that man sand hill cranes in one shot

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Pretty birds and photos! Thank you for sharing the beauty.

Sandy said...

Definitely a good place to be. The egret was posing for you.

Arlene G said...

We have a lot of pelicans on the Tennessee river right now. One of my local friends posted some amazing pictures of them just this week. Love the formation that looks like a bird.....neat.

Debbie said...

ooooh it just looks so beautiful there, and a tad warmer than here!! hehehe

the cranes sure do have a marvelous formation, the do look like a bird in that second picture!! i always wonder how those big birds can perch the way they do on evergreens, although at second glance, it may be on a branch!! such pretty scenes and a gorgeous egret, our egrets are gone for the winter. smart birds!!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

Looks like a lovely day! It looks like a great place to sit in your chair and watch the birds. Wonderful sightings of the Sandhill Cranes in flight. I love the pelican, heron and egret, they are all beautiful. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Wonderful pictures!! Love seeing the Sand Hill Cranes in flight...so many of them! Must be starting back up north already? Wow! And that Gorgeous Egret...yes, she was posing for you! I know I could stand and watch that all day too. Thank you for sharing these great pictures with us. Love seeing them.

Crafty in the Med said...

All those cranes in flight ...what a sight to see. Impressive photographs! that particular snapshot of the Egret is fabulous. All the landscape looks so interesting what a wonderful day out! keep well Amanda x

carol l mckenna said...

What a wonderful 'road trip' you and hubby had and gorgeous photos to share ~ thank you ~

It is Winter here in MA ~ and hard to find places to walk ~ Spring is coming ~ YEA!

Moment by moment,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

The Feminine Energy said...

Oh yes, you should have brought your chair, indeed! I love the water... and the critters that go along with her. Your temperatures sound heavenly. When I got up at 4am our temperature was 11*F... and I don't think it has budged much since then. Typical weather for here in northern-most Indiana but somehow that doesn't ease the bite of it much. :-) Drink in some warmth for me. ~Andrea xoxo

Kate said...

Absolutely AWESOME!!!!! And I am totally envious. ^^

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Oh how I wish I could see a red headed woodpecker. They are around here but no luck so far. Sandhill cranes are also prevalent in Ontario; I wonder was those ours you captured.Such lovely outings and we could use your warm hugs as we are deep into a February winter here. Take care you two.

Marcia said...

Beautiful pictures all! What an assortment of water birds you see there.

italiafinlandia said...

I believe you could stay all day long in that place.
Lovely views of the cranes. :)
Happy weekend!

Inger said...

Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful pictures of ocean and wetland birds. I grew up on the water in the Stockholm archipelago and then Errol and I had a sailboat. Pelicans became my favorite birds and I often think back on those days. Not much water around here, so a huge difference. But always fun to see the pictures of a Florida we should all learn more about. As you know, I had no idea.

Vee said...

You are enjoying such lovely days...

John's Island said...

Hi Lavender Dreamer, I would love to see so many Sandhill Cranes! In years past I had a little summer place in Montana and the Sandhills would nest along the rivers. I will never forget hearing their call in the mornings. Enjoyed all your photos … thanks for sharing! John

Phil Slade said...

That's beautiful Diane. Just my sort of day out with a leisurely drive, a spot of sunshine and a spot of birding too. I wonder if those Sandhill Cranes are heading north already? There's signs of spring here even though it's early February.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Great pictures. I love that I am on the Gulf Coast now and living on a lake. We see so many wonderful water birds!

RedPat said...

This brings back wonderful memories of winter trips to Florida! Thanks for the warmth on this cold day!

Terri D said...

Great photos! I would have joined you in a chair!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Beautiful photos!! And the outline does, indeed, look like a bird! Thank you!!

Bill said...

Beautiful birds everywhere. Great photos!

Jeanie said...

Those sandhills are so impressive -- and so, too, is that most handsome egret. Exquisite beauty.

Edna B said...

Such beautiful photos! I hope I get to visit Florida again. It's such a beautiful place. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

Barbara said...

Those flying Sand Hill Cranes are such an impressive sight! Wowowow! While my kids were here a couple of weeks ago, an Egret walked right past my library window, in my front yard! I live, oh about 7 houses away from the lake, so they don't usually wander over to my yard on foot like that. But this one must have seen something interesting he wanted to check out!

Susie said...

Diane, The weather looks so nice. I am amazed at the big birds you get to see on your ventures. Blessings ,Stay safe and warm, xoxo,love Susie

Shiju Sugunan said...

Awesome patterns they make. Lovely pictures and looks like fantastic weather.

Jean said...

Gorgeous shots of the great white egret! I enjoyed seeing and reading about your warmer weather from the freezing cold Midwest tonight. Hope your weekend is going well.

Buttercup said...

I love your bird pictures. I feel as though I've been on a vacation with you. Take care!

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Oh, wow - gorgeous photos! Love seeing all the amazing birds. The egret is so beautiful! Looks like you had a perfect day. x K

Kathy said...

I can't decide which photo would be my favorite. They are all great. Did you say your temperatures are in the 70s? We are going down to the 20s this week. More snow coming tomorrow morning. *sigh* I am so jealous.

Little Wandering Wren said...

It all looks so peaceful with you! I could stay all day too!
Wren x

Linda said...

Beautiful birds! Stay safe.

Danice G said...

More gorgeous photography. The weather looks so nice, too.

Irma said...

Beautiful series of photos the egret is my favorite.
Beautiful Sunday and greetings Irma

Anni said...

I so enjoyed your day in the sun with such beautiful birds & scenery. To have the sandhill cranes fly over my driveway would be life threatening for me...I'd have a heart attack.

Thanks so much for having us at I'd Rather B Birdin' share in your area of the bird kingdom.

Teresa said...

Siempre preciosos tus paseos, me encantan. Besos.

Ann said...

What a joy it must be to be where you are. It sure does look better than it does here.

NatureFootstep said...

loved to see the Sandhill cranes. Are they migrating already?
yes, the egret is a beauty!
Your images dont say winter to me, they speak sunner, come visit!
I wish!
Take care!

Rain said...

The Egrets are certainly beautiful, what a lovely photo of the heron too! I always love to see the geese pointing the way in the sky, great shots!! :)

Red Rose Alley said...

These are really pretty birds. They look so graceful and even regal. I really like that close up you took of it. That's a wonderful photo. This looks like such a peaceful place to visit.

~Sheri