Blue Run Park is always a great destination to see lots of birds and beautiful sights.
Wild Blue Iris (Blue Flag)
This Blue Iris grows along the river and swamp and can be seen from the trail.
We enjoyed a beautiful walk along the Rainbow River and stopped at our favorite spots.
Wildflowers
It has greened up so much lately and the vegetation is so lush that we almost missed this little guy!
But when he raised his head, we recognized it as a Little Blue Heron.
And it was such a brilliant blue that I'm sure it was sporting breeding colors.
The water was a deep blue when we reached the Withlacoochee River too and hubby took a photo of this narrow motor boat. I love taking photos of the boats we see there but don't always include them in a post.
And when we looked down from the bridge we spotted three Alligators. There was one in the swamp along the way too.
Lots of people go to Blue Run Park in hopes of seeing an alligator. It's really the only place we hike that we can spot a 'gator!
Spiderwort
Are you starting to see signs of Spring where you live? Our temps are feeling more like summer this week!
I'm including the link to Ocala's Good Life magazine again! I don't want you to miss it.
61 comments:
...blue is my favorite color, thanks!
Barb and I fished that river a few years ago while visiting friends in Dunnellon! Your weather looks awesome, we got dumped on again last night with 5" of the fluffy white stuff.
All of your pictures are just simply breathtaking sweet lady. I love it that you so enjoy nature and the outdoors. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
A lovely walk with beautiful pictures.
it seems this park has the perfect name!! awesome spotting of the heron getting a huge hug from the landscape, the pictures are beautiful!! i have never seen wild iris, the second image is gorgeous!!
i guess florida is famous for its gators, you captures them well but i have an intense fear of them!!
we are seeing signs of spring, and we are getting our april showers today and tomorrow!! we have plans tomorrow with the great nieces and i can't wait!! have a wonderful weekend!!
What wonderful pictures! I love the wild blue iris and spiderwort and then a beautiful Little Blue Heron to top it all off! I did see one out on our pond earlier this week, but he was too far away in the bright sun for a good picture...and also the Crane family is running off any intruders right now while they are training their young colts to survive and thrive. Those gators are always interesting to see, from a distance! Wouldn't want to meet up with one in the water! LOL. Thank you for sharing your photos. I enjoyed them all.
The iris is one of my favorite flower and yours are beautiful!! You reflection photo of the river is just breathtaking! Thank you! Cathy
wonderful wort flowers and the little blue heron is so exciting. I have only seen one twice in my life and this one is to cute for words. I have only seen a little green Heron twice also
The flowers are so beautiful. Gator.. not so much lol.
What a wonderful place to walk in nature!
Beautiful sceneries and flowers.
Just the dream escape I needed! Thank you, lavender
We are on the fringes of gator mating season, so be careful out there!! Your photos are always so lovely. Happy weekend! xo
Nope, unless you count mud.
Lovely blues!
Wonderful series of photos from your walk.
I love the iris.
What I find very scary are the alligators, we only see them here in a zoo, fortunately.
I wish you a very nice weekend.
Greetings Irma
Beautiful blues. Love those iris. Not very spring like here. It's been cold.
Always great to see the alligators doing well.
Hello,
The blue iris are so pretty, a lovely wildflower! The Little Blue Heron is one of my favorite herons. The gators are great to see from a distance. Pretty views of the river! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
I really enjoyed these beautiful shots. The iris is exquisite and the view of the river so beautiful Thanks.
That iris is so beautiful. I couldn't really see the heron in your 1st shot at all. Good that you could spot it.
We are starting to see a few spring flowers in south-facing protected areas but the temps have really been up & down here.
Such lovely scenic shots! I would imagine the best alligators are those you can spot and stay clear of. :)
Beautiful iris pics. Mine aren't blooming yet, but hopefully in a few weeks I will see their purple color. Love the Blue Heron and don't get too close to the gators.
Wow! Awesome nature shots ~ amazing blue heron photo and others too ~ lots of blue ~ and the gators ~ they don't bother that little boat?
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Thank you for inviting us to your blue heaven!
A nice walk among nature and a beautiful collection of photos. Have a great weekend.
Beautiful photos and a nice walk among nature. Have a great weekend.
Iris is one of my absolute favorite flowers.
They are so pretty, and I have many of them in my garden.
I don't like aligathors, and they scare me.
I'm glad we have a lot of snow in stead of them ;)
Thanks for the beautiful photos...we still have to wait for the beautiful blue irises and wildflowers (we have spring snowflakes and crocuses in bloom) ...that's why I'm happy to see her with you.
And seeing an alligator in the wild is very rare... congratulations on the shots.
Happy.
Greetings from Viola in Europe.
Blue flowers are really special! I like your pics.
best…mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Beautiful pictures
Spring is slow to show here in Vermont. Pretty snowfall last night is all melted is a good sign.
Todo se ve tan bonito, me encantó pasear contigo. Un abrazo.
Love blue flowers happy Sunday love from me 🍀💙🍀🐾
Love blue flowers happy Sunday love from me 🍀💙🍀🐾
I love the wild blue iris. I am also glad I can comment! I have been having trouble with some blogs for a while.
Wonderful blues!
Love the flowers as blue is my favourite colour.
The Iris is a beautiful flower, and the Blue Heron looks great too.
Beautiful photos of this park. I like the heron. Have a nice sunday.
Hello Diane :=)
It's quite astonishing to see the bright blue of the Little Blue Heron I don't think I have seen it looking so beautiful in it's breeding colours. Lovely blue wild flowers, also my favourite colour of cultivated flowers. Beautiful views of the two rivers, and great captures of the alligators. I like to see them on blogs, but I have never seen one here in Portugal.
All the best
You certainly illustrated a few reasons Blue Run Park lives up to its name!
Your Phlox header is simply gorgeous! We've been finding lots of the same flowers you have highlighted. All that blue sure provides a nice welcome to the woods and swamps.
For a bonus, once you start enjoying all those blooms, you stumble across a Little Blue Heron and a few of our scaly tourist guides!
A new week straight ahead!
(Make the wind stop.)
Pretty hiking area! Love the hidden heron! Yep, breeding colors I think too.
For taking time to share this post with us at IRBB, I want to thank you.
What pretty blue flowers. The Iris looks Purple in that second photo, and love that picture. The little Blue Heron is a handsome fellow. Oh my, alligators! Be careful where you step. I can see why you enjoy going to the Rainbow River. It really is lovely.
Happy April days to you, Diane.
~Sheri
How lovely to see the beautiful shades of blue in your photographs.
I especially enjoyed seeing the Little Blue Heron.
Have a happy month of April.
All the best Jan
What gorgeous photos! This is just a beautiful post, and especially is that a Blue Heron? He's just an incredible capture, thank you!
What a beautiful blue day you gave me. The Little Blue heron was a bonus for me. I was disappointed not to see and red jeeps today. I must remember to show you our new red Suzuki when I come to Florida.
Such enchanting images. Each one a delight to behold- starting with the Irises, to the Blue Heron and the gators and more...
Always infected with a vibrant vibe when I stop by. Thank you, Diana.
https://natashamusing.com/2023/03/brain-fever-a-forest-escapade-guest-post-natasha-musing/
beautiful Rainbow River ...
love to walk in this kind of views ...
Beautiful photos! It is spring here although our weather is fickle.
Diane, what a nice walk with your husband. I enjoyed looking at the photos of the flowers and the heron and water. It is finally starting to feel like spring here and warming up. I hope you have a nice week Diane.
So many lovely lovely pictures.
Beautiful pics, I love the wild blue iris and the gators. We have gators in southeast Oklahoma but I have never seen one down there.
You are a little ahead of us in the greending up deparetment.
Beautiful blue flowers are my favourites! Love the irises and the spider wort. Spring is here with daffodils and hyacinths blooming, along with chilly wind and rain showers. April is a mixed bag for weather. Have a great week, Diane.
Absolutely beautiful photos!
Love the flowers, hoping we have more blooms here in north Mississippi soon.
Always love to see Herons!
Have a wonderful week!
lovely blues in your post. Both birds and flowers.
The first shot of the Little Blue Heron is fun. I had to look a couple of seconds to figure out what position it was in. :)
Iris starts to bloom in our areas.... beautiful.
What lovely weather to take a wander. I'm glad you found some wild Iris, this was my Grandma's name and I love the flowers.
Have a fabulous Easter holiday weekend.
Wren x
I'd be afraid that standing up in that little boat would make it top heavy and someone would fall into the river with the gators! I love your heron pictures. I've never seen one up close during mating season.
Such delightful photos from your walk, Diane.
Beautiful blues.
I especially love the iris.
Blue has always been my favourite colour. Great photos from the Blue Run Park.
The little blue heron!!!--- his beak!!!---such a pretty shade of blue. It took me a long time few years ago to finally identify the spiderwort-- I thought they were so pretty and people said 5hey were weeds and to mow them down!! LOL I haven't seen any here... yet. Have lovely Easter weekend my friend!!
I used to see gators when I lived in Fl. I held a tiny one at a research center, it was 6" long and so strong I almost couldn't hold it in the middle!
your shots are great
iris! beautiful
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