Visit to Sterling Nature Center -- Great Blue Heron Rookery

I had checked my blog to see when I last visited the rookery and it was just about this time last year and the weather was gorgeous yesterday -- perfect for a visit  There was quite a crowd here among these three nests -- I think I counted nine herons altogether.

Here are mom and dad with the little ones.  Great Blue Herons are normally very solitary birds except during the breeding seasons.  Amazing to see two standing so close together.  There were two or three babies in the nest.  

Here is another parent feeding the young ones.  These were slightly larger babies and I saw many that looked about ready to fledge.  Some were much smaller.

A very nice looking parent and the young ones.

This is a female Red Winged Blackbird disguised as a sparrow!  There were several of these and it was awhile before I saw one of the males.

The male Red Winged Blackbird.  I used to see these constantly when I lived in Batavia, NY but not so much these days.

This is probably the nicest picture I have ever taken of the male Bluebird.  It was the perfect background for this beautiful bird -- he will definitely be in a quilt someday.

I saw this Grey Catbird first on the ground and he was heading right for me.  I couldn't see the little red spot under his tail until he flew up into a tree.  If you double click,  you can probably see it.

Here is the Catbird on the ground as he was coming for a visit.

There were lots of Tree Swallows flitting around the marsh where the Herons were but also several were nesting in the boxes around the Center.  They are so flighty, it is about the only time you can get a picture!!