Friday, March 27, 2009

Blue Herons Back at their Nest Site in Grafton!

I was at St. Phillips Cemetery in Grafton today trying to take some decent photos of birds I could not identify when suddenly a large bird cast shadows along the grass. I raised my head to the sky to see who the bird was and it was the Great Blue Heron.
Seconds later the other one showed up and they perched themselves in the tree where the still existing nest they had from last year was.

Here is a photo of the two of them. I discovered this cemetery solely because of these birds. I used to come here and watch them every Sunday last summer. I didn't know much about herons at the time so I had no idea that nesting away from other herons was abnormal. I am not sure if they are here to stay but they sat there for a full 40 minutes right at the nest location so it will be interesting to see.



There are also a new set of birds at the cemetery that remind me of Barn Swallows but it is too early in the year for them?? They behaved in the same manner which was flying around in the sky to catch bugs on their wings but their call was different from that of a Barn Swallow. Does anyone have any idea what they could be?



The pictures are lousy but you have no idea what a challenge it was just to get these ones. They are such manic flyers and fly high up in the sky and are rather small so getting pictures was one of the most difficult things I have had to do since I took up birding and photography!!!




6 comments:

Leedra said...

What about Tree Swallows? Look at my post this past week of the Tree Swallow and see if it is what it looked like. They look very similiar, just don't have any of the orange on them that the Barn Swallows have.

I didn't know the Blue Herons all usually nest close, although I have observed that didn't know it was the norm.

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Kim said...

Leedra, I was thinking the same thing when I looked at my Peterson Guide but I think it's too early in the year for them. They acted just like swallows though and there were plenty of those nasty little gnats for them to eat at the cemetery. Thanks and you have fantastic birds of the swallows and the bluebirds!

Kim said...

Leedra, I believe you are right. I was just reading that Tree Swallows make it back to Masachusetts usually the first week of April. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I was thinking swallow as it looks like a flying cigar...

troutbirder said...

As always your Perigrine pics are amazing.

Deborah Godin said...

Your peregrine photos are simply amazing! Real portraiture!

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