I am so very happy to finally be putting out a blog post! This summer blogging has taken a back seat to more pressing matters. Building our new home in Indiana has been a priority over the last few months. Bruce and his crew have been working diligently on the construction and the house is really starting to take shape. Though most of our time has been spent in the country working on the house, we have yet to acquire internet service. I have greatly missed reading all of your beautiful blogs, writing comments and putting out posts of my own. Most importantly and sadly, my wonderful Dad passed away at the beginning of August. It has been a difficult time for me and my family, but we have taken great comfort in all the kindness, support and generosity from family and friends.
I recently spent a few days in Longboat Key, Florida. Though the trip was not for pleasure, I managed to find a couple of minutes here and there to venture out with my camera. The highlight of my outings was finally being able to view a Roseate Spoonbill from a close distance. Over the past few years I have been enamoured by this elusive blushed pink bird. Until recently I was only able to catch a passing glimpse of a spoonbill. Oh what a joy it was to observe this cool bird with the odd shaped bill. This post features photographs of lovely feathered friends seen on my recent visit to Longboat Key and a few from past trips.
A splendid sight ~ Roseate Spoonbill
One of many Northern Mockingbirds seen on Longboat Key
The stunning plumage of a Tricolored Heron
A striking Great Egret seeks prey in the shallows
Soaking up the morning sun ~ Turkey Vulture
A statuesque Great Blue Heron has hunting success
Two pretty Willets spend a late afternoon at the beach
Looking out over Sarasota Bay ~ Snowy Egret
A beautiful White Ibis forages for food in the pond
A common sight on Longboat Key ~ Osprey
Drying feathers amongst the mangrove leaves ~ Anhinga
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74 comments:
What a nice variety of birds, nice sharp images!
Your photos are wonderful !!!
Many thanks for your visits.
My english is not so good, but it's a good exercise for me...
See you soon Julie
As usual, you share the most gorgeous photos! I'm very happy to stare away as I scroll down...but this time I was very sad.....Sad to hear about the passing of your dad. :-( My condolences to you and your family. I'm thankful you had the spoonbill for a smile every once in a while.
Lovely images, Julie! The Spoonbill is such an odd looking bird, those delicate pink feathers topped by this ancient-looking head. I am so sorry about the loss of your Dad! Hope you'll get internet service soon so you'll be back in touch.
Wonderful photos. Very sorry for your loss. Hope things settle down for you soon.
peace
dan
My condolences to you and your family. But glad to have you back in the blogging world. Your bird pictures are sorely missed. I love the tri-colored heron and the snowy egret best, and I would like to see them in person some day!
Wonderful photos Julie! Sorry to hear of your loss....sometimes bloging is not so very importent.
Best wishes from Sweden;
Fantasticas capturas,la Espatula rosada es preciosa.Saludos
Hi Julie
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your father I want to wish the best to you and your family.
Your photos are lovely as always, I really enjoyed the reflected ibis and the two shots of the spoonbill.
Regards
Guy
Great photos Julie, I'm very impressed, especially photographs 1 and 12 are super.
Sad to hear that you have lost your father, I wish you much strength with the loss.
My english is not so good, so sorry if I make a mistake.
Greetings Irma
julie, these are absolutely stunning! the tri-color and the snowy are both fabulous photos! (i hope you don't mind, but i downloaded them into my 'drawing inspiration' folder in case i ever really feel daring enough to attempt such beauty and grace!)
please accept my condolences on the loss of your father. i know that feeling of loss. the past seems forever severed by it. i know the grief will continue coming when you least expect it.
congratulations on the progress you are making on your new, country home! i know that must be wonderful to see it becoming reality. :)
a big hug to you today.
Wonderful photography Julie.
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. While I wish you all of my condolences there's nothing that can really take that sting away. I hope that you are still surrounded in the warmth of friends and family, as well as the tranquility that your forays into and photographs of nature bring to your readers.
Peace be with you
Wow, they are all so beautiful it is impossible to choose a favorite. These are just excellent pictures.
I am sorry to hear about your Dad's passing. My condolences.
This set of pictures are exquisite.Each one is worthy of being framed.
Dearest Julie,
First off, my condolences for the loss of your Father.
You have had quite a summer indeed.
But this Roseate Spoonbill makes up for some of the things. Incredible photos you show us here.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Hi Julie,I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. May wonderful memories help ease the sorrow. Your beautiful pictures bring all of us joy! Cynthia
Wonderful post, Julie, your photos of the Spoonbills are really great!
Your photos are splendid, especially the Willet and of all Roseate Spoonbill, and the Northern Mockingbird.
Stunning photos of these beautiful birds. I love all of them.
So many lovely birds! Fantastic!
Happy September!
C
Greetings Julie! You have outstanding shot..I love the Roseate Spoonbill...it looks so much like a flamingo in the body..the bill is so unique...your bokeh is smooth and a dream on all shots..very beautiful work...sorry it has been so long, as I had to start a new blog, due to mechanical computer problems. I am happy to see these today, thanks for sharing..Happy Autumn soon, kind regards, Linda
Julie, great to see another stunning post from you! I'm drooling over the Florida birds, cannot wait to get back home to do some serious birding around my new home town! I'm esp. jealous of the spoonbill shots, have only seen one, at a distance so far.
It was a lovely surprise when you popped up on my sidebar :-) But I am very, very sorry to read of your sad loss. I know only too well how devastating it is to lose one's beloved Dad. Time does help to ease the pain eventually but unfortunately there are no shortcuts...if only there were! I'm sure you will find great solace though in your family and friends, your happy memories and of course in Nature. I shall keep you in my thoughts.
On a happier note, your photos are as beautiful as ever, I loved them all. The Roseate Spoonbill is stunning as is the Tricolored Heron. You certainly made the most of your 'couple of minutes here and there' :-)
Hi Julie,
Great photos!
My name is Jane and I'm with Dwellable.
I was looking for blog posts about Longboat Key to share on our site and I came across your post...If you're open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you :)
Jane
I am so sorry about your Dad!!
I SWOON at every post you put up ... this one is no exception!
She/He is SOOOO Pretty in Pink....and the other birds are gorgeous as well!!
Sad to hear about your dad. Nice to see your photos, though. Beautiful work, as always. I love how yellow the bill of that Great Blue Heron is.
I'm so sorry about your dad's passing! On a happier note, what gorgeous photographs and what an absolute stunner that spoonbill is! I've never seen one IRL. Maybe one day.
It's always a treat to see a new post from you, Julie, and your beautiful bird portraits. Sorry to hear about the loss of your Dad. My condolences to you and your family.
Julie, I am so sorry for the loss of your Dad! On a brighter note, i am so happy to see your post and I loved all the birds. Especially the Spoonbill. Awesome photos. Have a wonderful day!
Hello Julie,
What annoying for you what all has happened. A hard time with the construction of your new home and then the bad news of your father. Terrible!! Much strength with this loss.
But very nice to see some shots of you now!! And They are so great. It's so fantastic to see that Roseate Spoonbill. Fantastic!!
And the heron with that fish in his beak. And I like the shot of the Snowy Egret very much, great colors and amazing to see that blue water.
Much thanks for the constant monitoring and the lovely comments on my blog!!
Greetings and a big kiss,
Marco
A terrific post with gorgeous images Julie. Good to see you back.
I'm sorry for the loss of your father.
Great photos of these Florida birds. The spoonbill really is such a cute creature.
Sharp, clear and fantastic pictures!
Hi Julie,
First of, my deepest sympathy for the loss of your father.
This post is really great; my eyes loved the birds you have captured, they all are stunning!
The Roseate Spoonbill is really a gorgeous bird. I also love the Tricolored Heron, I don't think we have these here.
I wish you a wonderful weekend filled with love!
Louise
Hola Juli excelentes fotografias con mucha variedad de especies.Un saludo
Most excellent shots.....I'd be swooning over a Rosebill as well. One was recently spotted here.....hopefully one day I'll see one in the wild. I like your closeups on all the birds.
Stunning photos with great colors...really great to watch!
Gr,
Remco
A quick hello Julie, since I am also taken by many other things these days!
Truly sorry about your dad, always a difficult moment in one's life...
At least you've got something to look forward to with the building of your house!
Great pictures of these gorgeous birds, some of which we don't see here in France sadly!
The roseate Spoonbill is an absolute beaut'!!
Cheers and keep well!
Wow, those are some great images. I love the first one because I've never seen one in person. Such great colors.
Excellent pics! I love how you name each bird! What kind of camera do you have?
Eli
Hello Julie
My compliments for these wonderful pictures....composition and coors are beautiful.
Greetings from Holland, Joop
I am truly sorry for the loss of your Dad. It must be hard you and your family to deal with while in the middle of building your new home.
Even tho the circumstances of your trip to Florida were not the best you certainly captured some marvelous photos. I especially enjoy those beautiful Spoonbills.
Thanks for stopping ~:)
Sorry to hear about your loss of loved father, Julie. Sad, but he’ll be always with you whenever you think of him. On a bright note, you came back with the most exquisite photography as ever. Each bird frozen in the moment is stunning. I think I’ve refrained the same words: I’ve never seen the fabulous photos of birds like yours. I saw for the first time a blue heron's moment of hunting success. Thank you for sharing.
Yoko
Beautiful birds. The Spoonbill is absolutly the most beautiful color.
So sorry about your dad. Hope you are comforted by many good memories.
Hope you will be in your new house soon!
Hi Julie,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to catch up with you but for similar reasons blogging and reading posts has also been secondary to family matters.
As Alaways a FABulous collection of images which brought back glorious memories of a couple of trips to the USA some years ago.
Please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your Dad ... just hold on to all those happy memories.
Hugs from FAB.
Hi Julie,
I am sorry to her about your Dad's passing. My sincere condolences.
My compliments its a terrific post.
Very beautiful work,nice sharpness and great colars.
Grtz,
Ben
Some lovely shots as usual!
Eli, thank you kindly for the nice remarks. I use a Canon 7D camera.
beautiful diversity! congratulations!
Julie, I am so sorry about the loss of your Dad. I am glad that you have such happy memories of him. Perhaps he is the one who sent you the spoonbill? Lovely pictures all of them and how exciting to be building a new home! thank you for the visits to my blog. I cannot believe you even had time to visit when you did in light of all that you have been going through! I hope all the chaos settles down for you soon so that you can relax and process all the changes in your life. I am hoping your new home has lots of birds for you to see and photograph! Love the anhinga shot!
Beautiful photographs, such views are giving much joy. I am greeting
My condolences on the passing of your father Julie, peace be with you and your family. Your photographs are all stunning. I'm glad you were able to see your Spoonbill! Best wishes on your new home!
I am very sorry for your loss.
A very beautiful post with beautiful birds. Take care, Hugs, Ruby
Beautiful photographs, admiring the nature it is great joy. I am greeting
When i gaze at your images,I see a master at work,magnificent captures.
Superb photography.
And many thanks fot your kind words on our Blog.
take care.
John.
It's so nice to see a new post, Julie! Sending condolences on the loss of your Dad. I lost mine 6 years ago and it still seems like yesterday in many ways.
Glad you had a chance to enjoy the outdoors. Your photos are beautiful, especially of the Splendid Spoonbill!
I don't know if you can read the band #s on your images, but if you can I'm sure the bander would love to have a band report filed on it.
Hope your fall gets off to a good start!
Please accept my most sincere condolences on the passing of your father.
Your photos are spectacular. The Roseate Spoonbill is quite amazing. Ospreys are one of my favorites. The two Willets, herons and egret are quite nice. Thanks for sharing.
oooohhhh julie, i am so sorry to hear of the loss of your dad, this must have been a difficult entry to write. please accept my heartfelt condolences.
it's always amazing to see your updates, i must add that i am "swooning" also, over each and every image!!
and congratulations on the new home....we have built both our homes so i have experienced this joy first hand!!
a big, special hug for you today!!
Gr8 pix and post, as always, Julie! I LOVE the spoonbills ... one of my fave birds when I visit FL :o) And sorry to hear about your Dad.
Magnificas imGened
Hi Julie,
I'm so sorry to hear about your dad, am sending you a great big hug!
How exciting to be building your own new home. I hope you will post some pictures when it is finished - I'd love to see it.
Your pictures are fab (as usual) - you got some stunning shots.
Take care!!
What a wonderful collection of photos, just beautiful
Oh, what lovely pictures!
www.anucreations.blogspot.in
Oh, adorable nature photographs with awesome quality!... so good!.. enjoying...
xoxo, Juliana
[pjhappies.blogspot.com]
The Roseate spoonbill is a beautiful bird
Julie, My heartfelt sympathy on the loss of your Dad. It is the hardest thing in the world to lose a parent who has been there to support, love, and guide you through the years. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm glad your house is "taking shape"--such an enormous and challenging undertaking, but well worth the effort when you are moved in and can call it home. Your photos are, as always, truly amazing. I know someday I'm going to open a magazine and there your exceptional photos will be (or definitely should be anyway). Again, my thoughts are with you in your loss. Hugs, Mickie
OMG!!! What a lovely pics!!!
Well captured ones. will come back again to check in. Keep posting
Keep it up
Best
Phil
Ps. I am joining in,,,,
Hi Julie, In early September we were travelling for several days and out-of-touch and then after getting back it has taken me a while to catch up on my web activities. I can't believe I'm just now seeing this wonderful post of yours. First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your dad's passing. Such a tough time in life and my condolences to you and your family. On the other hand, let me extend congratulations to you on your new home -- I know it will be a wonderful spot for you and your new spouse. Now, getting around to this post, it is just amazing how wonderful your photography is. You truly are an inspiration to me, although I don't ever expect to get to your level of excellence on these birding photos. Lastly, let me wish you a happy Fall, hope you get settled into your new place (and get internet!) and thank you, as always, for your kind comments on my blog. Best regards to you and your family from Seattle! John
You have certainly captured the spirit of these majestic birds! Love the Spoonbill! See them here in Florida and they always capture my attention! So sorry for your loss!
Great photos Julie, compliment!
Sorry to hear of your loss of your father, then bloging is not important.
My english is not so good, I hope you understand what I mean.
Julie Very lovely your photos
Compliments for your blog
Greetings from Creativity and imagination photos of José Ramón
I gasped when you wrote about your Dad's passing. My mother passed some years ago. It is important to grieve and to have the love and support from family and friends.
Your images are inspiring, thank you for sharing them.
Glad to hear that your home is getting closer to completion.
Hugs
I am really impressed by how well you use the light and draw out such gorgeous color and detail in your images. Florida is a wonderful place for bird photography, as I found out from my spring break trip last March. So sorry to read about the loss of your Dad. I hope that you continue to be comforted by your memories, as well as from your family and friends.
Julie: Wonderful work. Great imagery, composition, focus, depth of field. Splendid!
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