As much as I love seeing one of our Great Blue’s in living color…
Sometimes, it’s nice, seeing them in simple…
Black…
And white.
❤
Great Blue in Black and White – Day 7
Tag Archives: great blue heron
A Whole Lotta’ Somethin’ – on Day 5
It was cold out.
Cold, gray, and that “Cape Cod raw” like you read about.
And when I headed out on my walk, I thought there would be nothing going on in the marsh to see…
When — there he was!
Standing alone, out in the middle of the marsh.
As blue as I’ve ever seen a Great Blue Heron look!
I got a bit distracted when I heard tiny little peeps calling to me from the bushes along the marsh.
Why, it was a charming pair of House Sparrows, popping up to say, “Hello”!
Just then, I noticed how beautiful the cat o’nine tails looked right in front of me, just ripening and ready to burst.
‘Funny, how quickly I had gone from thinking there’d be a whole lotta’ nothin’ to see out in the marsh that morning…
To realizing, once again, like so many times before…
That there’s always a whole lotta’ somethin’ out there to see and hear.
If you just stop.
Breathe.
And look. ❤
It’s Good to be Back
When I started this entry today I couldn’t believe it’s been over a month since I last blogged and I have really missed it!
When I get busy, I will often post my photos on my Facebook page, however these have not been making it to my blog!
So starting now I am going to try and blog first, then funnel everything over to Facebook.
In the meantime here is one of my very favorite images this fall.
I was out photographing at Ridgevale Beach, right around sunset.
And I kept hearing two Great Blue Herons “conversing” out in the marsh that’s near the beach.
Suddenly UP they both flew, one chasing the other.
Then, all went quiet.
After a time I spotted one of the Great Blues flying out over the water, against the pinkest sunset sky.
Here is that magical moment…
❤
Picture Riddle Photography
Do you remember those picture riddles when you were a kid?
You’d be shown a picture and then asked the question, “Can you find the ______ in this picture?”
Well that’s how it is for me whenever I land at one of my favorite spots like Forest Beach marsh to watch for wildlife.
Once I park the car and get out, I look out at the marsh to see what’s in the picture before me.
At first, unless there’s something really big going on, everything looks pretty still and quiet.
Especially this time of year, with all of the ospreys now gone.
Yet I have learned to be patient.
To let myself relax, unwind a bit. Let my eyes move slowly beyond what’s obvious, along the edges of the marsh, into the shadows.
Some days, I’ll spot nothing. But other times, I’ll notice something that looks a little different – a movement, a color, a shape.
So I zoom in, and there!
A great blue heron who was right there all the time, peeking out through the tall marsh grass along the far edge of the marsh near the woods.
I just wasn’t able to see it at first.
And what a beauty!
Such a nice reward in return for just a little patience, don’t you think?
‘Til next time, thanks for visiting me at Images of Cape Cod!
Oh to Be a Painter…
I was leaving Cockle Cove after a not-so-great morning with the camera.
Nothing special had crossed my lens, and it looked like the good salt air in my lungs was going to be my catch of the day.
And then I spotted him, on a tiny muck island in the middle of the creek.
A great blue heron!
But there was something different about this fellow.
I pulled the car over and hopped out, hoping to get a closer look.
Standing motionless on one leg, folded up like an accordion, the great bird was peering intently into the still, calm water. His bill pointing toward something – or someone – just below the water’s surface.
I had caught him in mid-hunt.
Just then, he broke off from his intense gaze and began to straighten up.
Slowly, he unfurled and stretched out a wing, the very tip just touching the water.
Then, a leg. Like some great yoga master.
Then, he stopped. Looking straight ahead…
And in one fluid motion lifted up, up, in a blur of feathers and was gone!
And as I drove away all I could think was, If only I were a painter.
I’d be running home to my paints and brushes, desperate to recapture the magic that I had just seen.
This amazing creation of feathers, heart, bill and bone.
This masterpiece. ❤
Summer Winding Down
You can see, smell and almost taste a Cape Cod summer as it winds down.
A humid haze lays thick over everything. And everyone.
The rosehips are at their very best, all orangey-red and ready for picking for those with a fondness for jam.
Even the slowest among the osprey “juvies” have mastered the fishing skills they’ll need for the long flights south.
Jabbering flocks of young sparrows seem to line every telephone pole, delighting us with their melodic runs and winged gymnastics.
Fragile pink mallows wave in the soft sea breeze, framed by cat o’ nine tails standing tall and watching over them.
The great blue herons are back, those who left when summer crowds descended, their statuesque frames unmistakable as they peer into quiet pools at dusk.
Thick bushes of pokeweed, sadly toxic for us, will ripen soon to the delight of every tiny bird along the marsh as they will do their part to scatter the seeds far and wide.
For some, the end of summer is a sad time. Vacations come to a close, it’s time to return to jobs, schools and familiar routines.
For me it’s a time of jubilation as my heart beats a little faster in anticipation of all the sights and sounds of my favorite season awakening…
Thanks for visiting me here at Images of Cape Cod! 🙂
Sally
Images of Cape Cod 