… especially when you can see, not just one, but a mess of Great Egrets perched in one tree?
Well, this event occurred on September 15th, a mid-week trek at Lake Erie Metropark, on a hazy late Summer day. Smoke from the western wildfires had settled in and the gray haze permeated that park, with an occasional appearance by the sun. It brightened up as the day wore on. I’ll write about the rest of that day’s trek under separate cover, but the highlight for me was the abundance of Great Egrets.
Great Egrets galore.
It seemed at every twist and turn on the Cherry Island Trail or the wooden overlooks, there were Great Egrets and I knew I’d have enough shots to make a Wordless Wednesday post of those regal-looking waterfowl.
Below are just a few of them.
When I reached the car, I was weary from my long walk. Once again, I had cut across the entire park and had already walked about six miles. I sank down in the front seat, blew the A/C full blast to cool off a little, then soon was on my way.
As I rolled along the road to exit the park, in my peripheral vision, I caught a flash of white and glanced over to see dozens of Great Egrets perched in one tree. It was quite a sight to see! Unfortunately, there are signs forbidding stopping or parking on the shoulder, as I have mentioned before when I’d see a deer leisurely strolling along the road. So, without hesitation, I exited the park and re-entered again, drove all the way to park at the Marshland’s Museum, knowing I still had a bit of a hike to see those Egrets.
I parked the car, then hustled as fast as I could thinking they might take flight and, just as I arrived, I saw a pickup truck slow down, stop and a man hopped out. Grrr! Of course I was irked that I hadn’t done that. “Hey there” the man said while gesturing to the tree. “How about those birds and the reflections … it’s all God’s work you know.” I nodded in agreement and we just stood there silently admiring the pyramid of Great Egrets.
“Pleased to meet ya ma’am. I’m Jim and since I retired I visit this park every morning. I have never seen a sight like those Egrets up in a tree before, so I just had to pull over!” I told him I don’t visit all that much, maybe ten times a year, but I’d never seen such a sight either.
Well I probably should have taken my photos as soon as I got there, but, between admiring the Egrets and chit-chatting with Jim, I was busy watching them with my own eyes and not with my eye pressed up to the camera, finger on the shutter button.
Several drivers saw us, looked over, slowed down and held their phones up to snap a few shots of those Egrets. But woe was me as a motorcyclist whizzed by and, even though the road was not close to where these waterfowl gathered in the trees, the loud motor spooked them and they instantly took flight, some to the water …
… and others to the trees across the marsh. Sigh.
A few Egrets lingered in the trees, their white bodies dotting the branches.
By now, a pale sun had finally emerged for good, in between the clouds and causing stunning reflections on the still water.
A Great Blue Heron waded among the Great Egrets – no one seemed to object to his/her presence as far as I could tell.
After taking a ton of photos, I returned to the car and decided to walk that short Trapper’s Run Trail to Riley Overlook to see if any Egrets had returned there, but there were none.
It turned out to be a great day … a Great Egret kind of day.
Here’s a little cheer for your Monday – just click here.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
WOW – that’s a lot of egrets! I love the photo of the two facing opposite directions, nice catch. Happy Monday and thank you for the lovely card, it was a great rendition of the 12 days of Christmas! I hope you have a great week, Linda.
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Yes, it was amazing to see so many egrets Shelley. I was so busy looking at them, I missed the shot, but maybe it is nicer to see what happened when they got spooked instead. I originally intended to use the two egrets facing in separate directions as the header image and went this route to include the card. Thank you for your Jacquie Lawson reply note about the card … it is funny to see the 12 Days of Christmas in reverse and the cow’s mooing cracked me up, as did the chickens’ song as well. Same to you Shelley – creeping every closer to the holidays.
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I’ve never seen that many in one spot, it was a moment to witness/watch for sure!
I like the route you chose for using the photo. You always do so well with that!
You’re welcome, you find such cute cards to share with us. I laughed at the same parts!!!
Yes, the holidays are getting closer and closer…….
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I hope to see it again – but all those times of going there and I’ve never seen so many Egrets in one day either. I wonder if it had something to do with the wildfire smoke? When I got there that morning it was very hazy and it looked like a snow sky looks. Sometimes I think of post titles on the spot then changed due to going with the Christmassy theme. A few more Christmas-themed posts, then New Year’s posts and we’re in 2023. You wait for the holidays and they’re over too fast.
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I’ve seen many flocks of different birds this year, something’s up, not sure what. The smoke could be part of it.
You’re way better at titles than I am. I wish I had your clever ideas!
Yes, the holidays will be over before we know it. I look forward to your remaining 2022 posts! 😊
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I wonder what is up with those birds Shelley? I am wondering if the milder temperatures (well here anyway … Wisconsin has been cold since Labor Day) 🙂 – that might have something to do with it? They are confused as to when to migrate perhaps. I went to Humbug Marsh on Sunday as I follow the Detroit River Wildlife Refuge on Facebook and a long-tailed duck was in the pond, a species of duck which is usually not found around these parts. So I went to see it. It was alone – also odd and a birder there said it was a juvenile. Did it get confused and lose its way? Thank you – I like having fun with my titles, like this week’s Wordless Wednesday post. I thought it looked like that seagull was doing the Hokey Pokey, so I gave him some personality for that post.
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I wonder too. We’ve had a flock (8 or 10, it depends) of morning doves that seem confused about where to go. That’s the most I’ve seen of those together at one time. I do think some birds get lost or abandoned from their flocks. It’s sad to see.
Yes, it’s been cold here, and now it is snowing….and will snow all day into tomorrow. We already had rain, snow, and now more snow. It was heavy wet snow at first. YIKES.
That’s a great post and great title – see you’re so darn clever!
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Funny you mention the doves Shelley because I would see an occasional dove or two at the Park, but lately they have been regular visitors under the Safe Haven Tree, eating sunflower seeds. I’m not talking about one or two doves, but 10 or 12 … strange, as I have given the birds and squirrels sunflower seeds for over a year and never saw them feeding there before. I found that strange. There are some Black-eyed Juncos there now as well and I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch yesterday. We had a rainy morning so I sorted through some photos for a few upcoming posts … I hope to get back to Summer through October pics after the new year. I hope you don’t get too much snow. I hate the heavy wet snow and especially when they pile it a the end of the driveway overnight. We are having “the coldest Christmas in a long time” – well, that’s better than snow. I think we’re spoiled a little by the weather so far.
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Those same birds are flocking around our house. It’s fun to see them all share the bird feeder and the trees in our yard.
We got 6-8 inches of heavy wet snow. We only lost power for a few seconds, but lost internet for 6.5 hours. We got more snow last night, and will get more this morning. It’s beautiful to look at but very hard on the trees. And the Mr. who had to snowblow it and the end of our driveway that is blocked again.
Enjoy the fact that you didn’t get this storm.
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Yes, I loved having birdfeeders and watching them in Winter, but had to stop when the neighbor behind got rats (back in 2008) … hated that as I really enjoyed seeing them.
That is a ton of snow Shelley – poor Mr. and sometimes the snowblower gets clogged up so you end up having to keep stopping or shovel anyway. I hate that heavy wet snow. I find I have to take breaks when it’s that heavy or I skip the back and side and just do out front – we have 24 hours to get snow and ice removed or get a fine. I live on the shady side of the street, so the sun never gets to the driveway until 4:00 or so this time of year, so it never melts. We are getting an Arctic chill for Christmas with a high temp of 18 degrees. That won’t be too fun, less fun if it snows.
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I’m with you on all of what you said, Linda!
I’m also dreading the cold…we have plenty of snow that isn’t going to melt and it has officially turned to treadmill weather. Stay warm!!
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Well Ugh with a capital “U” Shelley. We had some snow this morning, just a dusting, but there were a lot of accidents in the northern ‘burbs, so I walked to the Park. Been trying to drive more at the mechanic’s suggestion, even short spurts. I was there about an hour and it started snowing really hard – sigh. Came home covered in snow. That same thing happened Christmas Day 2013. Got to the Park and had a snow squall and very windy and I was soaking wet when I got home. And so it begins. Are you going to be in this storm that’s coming in Thursday-Friday? I am glad I took Friday off … I will probably spend part of it shoveling (3-6 inches and more Friday night). How many days til Summer?
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Yes, I agree, a capital “U” is warranted!
We’re likely in the path of the upcoming storms. As if we needed more snow! UGH.
We tried to walk yesterday, all layered up, but the winds were too strong it was bitterly cold for us so we turned around and only got a mile in. I’ll be on the treadmill for the week. Good thing I have lots of books to read that I haven’t had time to read yet.
I’m off on Friday and Monday, I can’t wait for a nice long weekend.
Stay safe while shoveling!!!
Summer can’t come soon enough 🤔😏😁
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Every time I hear the weather it sounds worse … it won’t disappoint me (and likely you neither) if this storm fizzles out. The -5 to -15 windchills will be brutal. They are coming to install the new generator part this Wednesday. I hope the third time is the charm, that’s all I can say. You don’t need any more snow, that’s for sure. If the freezing rain comes after the 5-inch snowfall, the car will be in the garage for a long time. I have two jugs of Driveway Heat but it will be too cold to work I’m looking forward to the four-day holiday this week and next weekend.
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I hope the storm fizzles out too. We got a couple more inches of snow last night, at least it is 8 above instead of 8 below.
I’m not looking forward to the freezing wind chills for this coming weekend.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you I hope this third attempt to get the generator part working works like a charm!
I’ve never heard of Driveway Heat…we’d need a semi-trailer full to clear our driveway.
Enjoy the long weekend, Linda. You deserve a break.
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The more I hear, the more I worry and this storm is going to mess up a lot of holiday plans across the nation, which is a shame as we’ve not had too bad of weather so far (except for you and Terri with all your snow). Did/do you have another plan for work when you lose internet (like using your phone for a hub or is that impossible for your job as you monitor so many inboxes along with other duties)?
I sure hope this part works too Shelley. I am a Nervous Nellie about it … I wish all this messing around took place in the Fall, not on the brink of a blizzard. Thanks for your thoughts and finger crossings. I hope this storm doesn’t mess up the girls getting home either.
Driveway Heat is made by Prestone – it does the trick and would work better if I got more sun, but the sun gets to my side too late in the day and then it gets dark quickly. In Fall 2021 I couldn’t find the jugs of it, so I bought a 10 pound bag and when I went to use it after an ice storm, it was all congealed together and hard as a rock. Great. I put it out there like a lump hoping it would break apart – nope. So I had bought two big jugs of cat litter … worried the mailman would slip or I would slip going to the garage to run the car. No one told me to buy non-clumping litter and it was awful, black clumps all over the driveway which looked like oil stains. I gave he other jug to a neighbor down the street who said “what happened to your driveway” when I walked past her house. Told her and she laughed and said “you want non-clumping” – live and learn, so gave her the jug.
This has been a very long year on many levels and I am grateful for the time off and hopefully with power.
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The forecast keeps changing, but we will likely get some kind of storm with snow and wind. I’m not looking forward to it. It should be gone, except for the very cold temps, by Christmas Eve, so hopefully plans will not be affected. We’ll roll with whatever happens, it’s all we can do.
I hope the part works for you!!! Oh, my on the Driveway Heat and the kitty litter, yeah, you don’t want either one of those to not work as they are supposed to.
Yes, it’s been a long year and not so great of one. I hope you find some moments of joy to remember, that’s what I’m trying to do. I had to laugh this morning when I caught Tizzie posing in her “Here comes my dump” by the rug in our hallway. She didn’t move so I placed toilet paper under where it would fall, and I caught it all. It was a laughable moment>
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Well, I am pleased to report that the tech came and had done some troubleshooting with the manufacturer before he got here. He had several tips and the first one worked. He showed me a part way down in the machine that was loose, so he tightened it and ran it for over a half-hour and said he is confident (99.9 %) it is now fully repaired. It was such a relief Shelley as you might imagine. But, even feeling more confident, I, like you know this storm is big news. They keep stressing the wind, not the snowfall (now 4-6 inches). As much as I’m looking forward to the four-day break, I find myself wanting to zip to Sunday afternoon when this weather hot mess is over. The low temps are scary – payback for a wonderful Autumn. I hope your holiday plans don’t go awry with the weather. As to Tizzie, well you, having had two kids, knew exactly when to thwart an impending disaster – that’s what moms do, right!!??
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I’m so thankful that you reported back about the generator situation! I’m SOOOO happy that it is working for you and you feel better about that whole situation.
Yeah…the storm is looking to be quite a pain in the holiday plans. We’re playing it by ear and we’ll all decide whether we reschedule or go on as planned. I worry more about my brother who is a truck driver…the winds are horrible for a semi-truck and trailer.
🤣 Yes, Tizzie and Dessy remind me of my motherly roles, that’s for sure!
Stay safe, warm, and with power and heat!!!
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Thank you – I almost zipped off a note, but knew you’d be here the next morning. Worrisome indeed and as much as I’m looking forward to this long holiday, I feel a little cheated as some of it will be spent shoveling or doing things in the house like extra laundry to keep the pipes warm, etc. Your brother will have it rough for sure. I hope you will stay unscathed and not too much more snow. The furkids are always good for a laugh.
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I sent you an email this morning. The storm is past us, but the winds on the back side of the storm are still passing. They don’t picture that on radar. It’s mighty chilly too, so I won’t be going anywhere today!
I’ll do laundry too, good idea to keep the pipes warm.
Stay warm and stay safe and this too shall pass! That might be a good motto for 2022.
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That would be a great motto for 2022 – I’m anxious to move on to a new year, hopefully a better one. We never got any more snow as of when the sun set and I last looked out. It is finally a little warmer. Right now at 10:00 p.m. it is 1 above and the winds are 23 mph per Wunderground.
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I agree! Hopefully 2023 will be better.
The storm did the same for us. It was so weird, Christmas morning was calm and sunny. It wasn’t WARM, but it seemed better without the winds.
We’re at 24 above this morning, we’ll finally be able to walk outside for the first time in over a week! I’m getting books read on the treadmill, but I prefer getting some fresh air outside to wake up for the day.
I hope the warmer temps don’t make for a mess in your driveway!
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It was nippy this morning and I think they plowed some of the streets yesterday so it was a bit more slippery. Enjoy this balmy weather coming up Shelley – well it is balmy for us at 49 on Friday. Even 24 degrees is a treat after “The Siege” – I didn’t walk four days, but should have gone downstairs on my bike. I decided it was too cold – no excuse. Nothing like the cold air to invigorate you!
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Yes, and it’s 35 today so we’ll get another walk in. I sure wish we could get our driveway cleared, it’s going to be messy and full of ruts with this warmer weather that won’t last long enough to clear the snow we had gotten.
Yay for you to get in 2 5-mile walks!!!
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Hope you got another walk in today. Well we got to 47 this afternoon and it was 31 when I left on my walk, but it was not great as there was a lot of black ice and some snow had melted on the road and sidewalks, so I got about a block and a half walked and turned around and came home. Just a little too slick to take a chance. Tomorrow we’ll have fog and rain. Not a prize day, but I’d rather have that weather than the mess we had last weekend. A four-day weekend for both of us – this weekend will not be spent worrying about the weather, so I can relax unlike last weekend. (I’m having issues with my Comcast e-mail today – it has been down for about 90 minutes.)
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We did get another walk in and will probably do the same today. It was messy and there was ice in many spots. A LOT of our snow melted, so that’s good we hope.
Yes, I hope you can relax and not worry about the weather. I hope your Comcast is restored too.
Enjoy the long weekend!
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There was just a few blobs of snow on my front lawn this morning. I’m on the shady side of the street, but it should be gone by today. Well you’re lucky to get an outside walk in. I’m glad for the extra-long weekend and patting myself on the back for taking the extra day.
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We walked the last two days…a storm is coming our way this week, so we’ll be back on the treadmill.
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I hope it is good to walk tomorrow. It’s been three rainy days and Thursday was slick with black ice, so tomorrow will be good (they say). Tuesday and Wednesday rain both days, so I hope I can get there. Walking regimen for 2023 not off to a good start, but I will have time to recoup.
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Yes, you’ll have time to recoup what you miss out in during January, it’s what happens! Stay safe, black ice is NOT our friend!
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Do you and Mr. walk near your property, or drive somewhere and walk Shelley? I actually walked in the neighborhood the first two years before I discovered Council Point Park (one mile from my house, but I just never drove that way). Your neighborhood is more rural so you can get a good walk in.
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We walk on the main roads to/from our home. It can be quite busy on the roads. Silly us, we live a mile from a county park that has a trail to walk on. We’ve yet to take a stroll in it. We keep saying, “We really should take the trail one of these days as we walk by it on the road.” We can walk a 4 mile loop in the woods or on the road.
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I like that new park you went to one time … you had to drive to get there though. Usually in early January we have snow and ice (nice for pics – but I don’t need any more of those right now), but I’m not complaining about a lack of it, but fog so thick you could not see two cars ahead of you is no picnic either, but no shoveling and no slip-sliding away is a plus.
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Yes, we’ll go to that park again this summer. It’s close enough to one of my friend’s homes so we can walk there and back together with her dog.
I saw a meme that there’s only 75 days until Spring! I’m ready for Spring already!
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I liked that park in your post – hope you visit it again. I like the idea of only 75 days til Spring too. Me too Shelley. There are too many gloomy and gray days and this week of rain/fog/sleet was no treat.
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😍🤗
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“And an egret in a loblolly pine”?🌲 🎵 that has a nice ring to it, Linda.😘
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I like it Pam! I follow Detroit Audubon on social media to see where they go birding and what they see and they had a fun take on the 12 Days of Christmas and all the birds they saw:
***************
In honor of Christmas, here’s a fun song we put together:
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Detroit Audubon sent to me
Twelve Woodpeckers a-Tappin’,
Eleven gulls a-laughing,
Ten Chickadees bouncing,
Nine Tree Sparrows a-swooping,
Eight Nuthatches foraging,
Seven geese a-floating,
Six herons a-roosting,
Five golden crowned kinglets.
Four calling Cardinals,
Three Winter Wrens,
Two Mourning Doves
And an Eagle in a dead tree!
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Excellent!
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Wow what a wonderful photography. Beautiful &great Egrets tree . I like. Wonderful waterfowl gathered in the trees. Stunning reflection on the still water. Beautiful white Egrets on the tree.so nice card. I hope you have a nice weekend, Linda.
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I’m glad you liked the photos rajkkhoja. Great Egrets are very regal-looking birds and similar to the Great Blue Heron in size and shape, only all white with black legs and feet. This was amazing to see even after they scattered when the noise spooked them. Afterward it was difficult to count how many Egrets were in the picture due to the reflections!
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Thank you so much, Linda.
It’s very beautiful birds lot of Egrets. I like much
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Glad you enjoyed seeing them rajkkhoja.
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Having a terrible time this week getting my Hughes Net sattelite to give me a signal through these constant overcast skies. Love your photos – the reflections of the birds in the water are fantastic. I bet you totally enjoyed taking these glorious pictures.
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Sorry to hear that Peggy. I hope the weather stays overcast and the severe weather/storms coming up this week are not going to affect you. You’ve had a bad year for severe weather, tornadoes especially. Glad you liked these photos. It was such a magnificent sight to see all those Egrets and I was disappointed when they got spooked and flew erratically trying to find a place to land. I was lucky so many went into the water a little closer to where I was standing. The reflections were so amazing that you could not tell just how many Egrets were actually in the water!
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I could see how all those Egret reflections would cause confusion when counting. Those photo of yours were wonderful.
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Thanks Peggy – yes, they all blended together. It reminded me of the old commercial about cassette tapes where thy said “is it real or is it Memorex?” Difficult to tell which were the birds and which were the reflections.
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Apparently great egrets nest in trees near marshes. How exciting to see so many of them in one place. I still remember the first time I saw a large number of them resting in the trees late in the evening. Too bad a motorcycle had to disturb the magical scene. The egrets may have been getting ready to head for their wintering grounds. I love the picture of the two facing away from each other and their reflection in the water — beautiful! (You seem to have a knack for getting great bird couple photographs!)
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It sure was magical to see them in the trees Barbara. I’m glad you got to see them in the trees too. I never knew that Egrets and Herons liked to nest in trees until one of the boat trips I took sponsored by Lake Erie Metropark. There are many uninhabited island in the Detroit River and as we went by Stony Island, one of those uninhabited islands, our guide pointed out some trees and nests and said “too bad the trees are leafed out because this is a very large heron rookery.” The only way to get close to the island is by boat as the rookery is not visible from Grosse Ile, the largest inhabited island. I liked that couples’ reflections photo too and intended to use it as a header image, then decided to use this “12 Days of Christmas” theme instead. There were so many reflections, it was difficult to count how many Egrets were in the water!
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Well, you have EGRET and REGRET. I wish you’d gotten the shot you deserved. At least you have vivid memories of it! Thanks for sharing your photos.
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Well I love this Anne – I wish I would have thought of this play on words! I am glad I saw it with my eyes and I hope to see them gathered in the trees again as it was pretty incredible to see.
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It’s a shame you missed the best shots because you obeyed the rules. I admire your stance, though.
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Thank you Anne.
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Beautiful shots. There was a local blue heron that occasionally come to my pond. I was always amazed at how large he was and majestic. It was very hard to scoot him away so he wouldn’t eat my fish!
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Thank you Kate. They are so majestic and it always amazes me how streamlined the herons and egrets look in flight once they tuck those long legs behind them. They look very different than with their feet on the ground. I’ve seen a heron down a live fish and could see the fish thrashing around as it traveled down that long neck (amazing but ugh).
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They are prehistoric looking to me. So big and lanky but so graceful.
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Did your heron squawk when at your pond? The screechy noise they make when they take off could wake up the dead!
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I didn’t hear him. He would lift off silently.
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He didn’t want to alert you he had been scamming fish from your pond.
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With only one the Blue Heron should be the replacement for the Partridge.
Great effort and shots Linda!
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Good idea Wayne! Why didn’t I think of that? Glad you liked the shots and that Blue Heron just meandered in and around the Egrets without a care in the world. I know they are similar in size anyway and probably the Egrets were still flustered from that motorcycle noise and didn’t notice it among their kin.
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We saw that once, a bunch of egrets in a tree, it’s quite something! No photos though. Wildlife do not like motorcycles do they? When we are out and a motorcycle or a transport truck go by, they flee!
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It sure is something to see Susan. I stood there all that time, never taking a shot, then it was too late. Cars didn’t seem to bother them, but that motorcycle motor got them flustered. I lost count of how many Egrets were in the water due to their reflections!
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I never thought about egrets or other big water birds perching in a tree. What a sight. I’m glad you were able to capture some pictures of them.
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I wouldn’t have thought big water bird would perch in a tree either Zazzy, but a few years ago I took a boat excursion sponsored by this Metropark and there are lots of uninhabited islands in the Detroit River and our guide pointed out uninhabited Stony Island and said there was a huge heron rookery there. It was August, so the trees were leafed out so we saw nothing. I would like to see that rookery, but it’s only visible by boat. I was happy to at least capture some photos of the Egrets after they were spooked. Next time: photos first, admire second.
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I kinda think it ought to be admire first. But if you want to photograph wildlife I guess you have to have the camera going all the time. I think your conversation was worth the pause, however.
Do they have boats you can rent there? I’m thinking about those peddleboats. Surely peddling counts as a step. And it would give you a totally different perspective. Probably not at this time of year but maybe next summer.
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I think this guy and I were just so awestruck that after our initial chitchat, we just were watching them in the trees. He was very nice so yes, you’re right Zazzy, it was worth the pause.
No, they don’t have any type of peddleboats available to rent, but that’s a great idea. Grosse Ile, another island in the Detroit River and home to mostly wealthy folks with huge boats (and homes), would be the closest inhabited island. I would like to see that rookery someday. The boat excursions out of Lake Erie Metropark have been paused for three Summers now due to COVID. I took two of those two-hour trips, but they had a four-hour boat trip which went to the City of Detroit area, so if they offer it again, I’ll be sure to take it.
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It is so frustrating to obey the rules when others blatantly ignore them – and don’t get caught. Lots of lovely egrets you got there!
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Yes it is Eilene and there are signs everywhere. It added a couple of more miles to my tally for the day, but still …. They were quite a sight to see and there were so many more than ever on this particular day. Sometimes I will spend hours there and see a few herons and ducks and that’s it.
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Graceful birds!! Good find Linda.
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Thanks Esther – it was quite an experience seeing all of them!
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Wow, what a sight Linda! Is it normal for them to congregate like that, so many, plus in a tree? Shame on that motorbike!
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Hi Joni – Yes, amazing to see and I hope I get to see it again … next time I’ll take the photo, then chit chat or look at them. But they had been there when I initially passed and by the time I went out of the park, back in, found a parking spot and walked a mile to get back there, I figured they were there for a while. Yes – what a shame that motorbike went by and spooked them! I learned that herons and egrets roost in trees and build their nests in trees which surprised me as most waterfowl build nests in over the water or near the shore a few years ago, but never have seen that. In nearly ten years of walking at Council Point Park, I see three or four sets of goslings every Spring, but have yet to see a goose nest there. I took a boat trip/excursion through this park and the guide pointed out an uninhabited island (Stony Island) where there is a heron rookery and lots of herons roosting there in nesting season, but he said you can only get there by boat.
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Miss Linda………………………….WoW…………………………I’m happy when I see one Egret at our pond…………………………thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures of all those Egrets…………………
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It was pretty incredible to see Ann Marie – I hope to see it again and get pictures next time. One minute I was staring at them in the tree and next thing I knew they were flying around and landing in the water. They sure are beautiful birds. I’m glad you get an Egret visiting your pond. I know you had the GBH visiting but didn’t know about the Egret.
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Looks like the popular vote is for the shot of the Egrets facing away from each other, Linda. Nice pic! I’m drawn to how tall and thin their bodies are. Whatever they feed on must not be very substantial.
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Thanks Dave – glad you liked it. I originally was just going to make the post about the Egrets and use that as the header shot as I liked it too, then I decided to add a Christmas touch to it. The two birds had their necks extended which makes them look even taller. If they are standing in place, they, like the Herons tuck their neck in. I just looked how the Great Egrets weigh because I know Great Blue Herons are almost identical in size/height and weigh four to five pounds and Great Egrets only weigh about three pounds. They would be very scrawny looking if they didn’t have that beautiful white plumage.
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Fantastic shots of great egrets, Linda! I especially love the one where 2 of them are looking in opposite directions and you can see their reflections in the water. So cool! I have seen dozens of egrets perched in trees in the spring, when they are nesting, but never in the fall as you did.
Bill and I just got back from the Galapagos Islands. The sights there are amazing! The highlight of the trip for me was when we were snorkeling, admiring the hundreds of colorful fish (even a few sharks!), starfish, and eels, and 3 penguins came zipping by in the water near us. It was the trip of a lifetime for this nature freak!
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Thanks Laurie – that was my favorite photo too as the reflection totally mirrored those beautiful birds. I wonder if they were in the trees as they were preparing to roost for the night as it was so gray most of the morning as we had significant smoke from the western wildfires? The first time I saw Great Egrets was in Florida where they sat in trees and Spanish Moss was hanging all over the trees and Egrets in between. I remember being fascinated by seeing that sight as I’d never seen an Egret before.
Well I am so envious of you and Bill and your travels! You went right after Thanksgiving and your visit to your son’s house then? My boss went to the Galapagos Islands about eight or so years ago. He sent me some photos of the giant Tortoises but I don’t recall him mentioning snorkeling – how could he pass that up? I would be over the moon seeing what you saw when snorkeling, especially the penguins! I went snorkeling when I visited Puerto Rico, but it was a shallow area and I only saw some schools of fish and nothing more. Glad you had such a wonderful time. I know the scenery is supposed to be gorgeous.
My boss went to Australia the following year, to visit the Great Barrier Reef on a catamaran trip and the catamaran enabled them to get closer to shore. It seems to me I recall him saying they went snorkeling right from that boat.
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Yes, we went right after our trip to our son’s house for Thanksgiving. We were home for exactly one day! Just enough time to do the wash and re-pack. Gorgeous scenery in the Galapagos, but the highlight was definitely the wildlife, at least for me.
What your boss did was exactly what we did – snorkeled from a catamaran that was close to shore.
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I thought it had to be on the heels of your visit at your son’s house for Thanksgiving. You and Bill are world travelers and pick the best places! The wildlife would be the highlight for me as well Laurie. That sounds like the way to go to do the snorkeling and get the best view and I’d be talking about the penguins zipping by me for a very long time.
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It’s always a treat, a comforting experience to come here, to read your posts. They are so real, so close to my heart, where home is. You know, Linda, English is not my first language, so I hope I am saying it right. When I read your memories about your childhood, see the photos of your mom and dad, you as a child, I just feel a warm sensation in my heart. Thank you so much for blogging and writing. I see all the people you inspire, all the comments. You keep up the excellent job you do. Thank you, form the bottom of my heart. Your friend of several years already, Martha 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words Martha. You said it perfectly – never mind that English is not your first language. I admire anyone who can speak more than one language. Sadly, I studied French as a child in Canada and then for four years in college and I can no longer read, write nor speak that language. You must use those language skills or become rusty. I am glad you are still enjoying these posts.
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I do, Linda. I always enjoy your posts, for years.
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Thank you Martha.
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What a neat find! One alone is beautiful, but several together is such a magical sight. Wonderful photos.
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Thank you Rebecca and I must say that when I saw this sight I am pretty sure that I remembered once you had a post with Egrets in the trees and I marveled at it. You took the photos before standing there and watching them, unlike me! I hope I see this sight again. We have a large heron rookery on an uninhabited island about ten miles from me but you can only view the nests and herons by boat unfortunately. Hope you are staying safe in these storms that are traveling across the U.S.
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I’ve seen pictures of rookeries but have never had the chance to go to one. If you are that close to one, I hope that someday you will have the chance to go. We are finally getting some much needed rain. The last storm system which produced tornados stayed south of us for which we were thankful. Now we are getting ready for a winter blast, which I presume that you are already experiencing. The weather just keeps changing. 🙂
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I’d have to be in a boat excursion boat Rebecca as I don’t know how to swim. They stopped the excursions in 2020 due to COVID, but I’m really wary of going anywhere in a group right now anyway due to COVID. I’m glad the tornadoes weren’t near you -the family who lost his son and child was such a devastating story and blizzards in Texas … this weather is so erratic. We are getting that same winter blast for Christmas, the coldest Christmas since Christmas 1983.
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Yes, we are suppose to be in the single digits, so I can imagine that it will be even colder there. Wrap up and stay warm!
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Horrible weather, especially at the holidays for travel. I’m glad I’m not going anywhere. Single-digit temps and potentially double-digit snowfall over Thursday and Friday. You stay warm too Rebecca and have a Merry Christmas.
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Merry Christmas to you!
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Thank you!
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It is cool that you found so many great egrets. Average egrets would not have been nearly as exciting. 🙂
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There are Little Egrets (that’s their name) too, but we don’t have them around here, or I’ve not seen them. This was quite a sight up in the trees like that JP. It looked a little unreal to be honest.
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