Weird Wonderful Wordless Wednesday Whimsy
Wonderful Whimsical Mystery Nest Nbr1 – babsjeheron
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Can you name the Mystery Bird who festooned their nest so lovingly?
Wonderful Whimsical Mystery Nest side view – babsjeheron
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About today’s post: I have been nearly blind for many months and so have been largely absent from WordPress blogs. Eye surgery was supposed to take place this morning actually, but yesterday I learned that retina surgery is being rescheduled within the next month. Until then, Patience is the word of the day.
Because of my near-blindness, I’m not able to link in my posts to the various host sites for WP challenges/tags in the way I have always done in the past, but please know that I value the sense of community here, especially among the Lens Artists, Cee Neuner, Debhie Smyth, and more, who all encourage the entire international network of photographers and writers. Also, I.J. of “Don’t Hold Your Breath” blog has a new challenge – bird of the week. I hope he forgives me for posting the mystery bird NEST of the week, as well as some Herons. Sorry that I cannot link directly at this time – this is the best I can do for now.
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I do love a happy ending, and hope my eye surgeon delivers one for the Herons & me! Patience Grasshopper.
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Once again, the Great Blue Heron diving beneath the water’s surface graced gallery walls.
TCAN One-Woman Show January through February 2022 Lobby Wall With TCAN Sign Reflected; TCAN Stained glass art by Carol Krentzman, framed by Jay Ball
TCAN One-Woman Show January through February 2022 Front Lobby Trio
My Great Blue Heron photographs were once again on display on the walls of the lobby and theater in a free one-woman show at the Summer Street Gallery, of The Center for Arts in Natick. It was great to see so many of you there.
Since 2001, the Center for Arts Natick has been housed in the circa 1875 historic Central Fire House, where the Summer Street Gallery provides an opportunity for accomplished visual artists in the region to have their work prominently displayed for TCAN’s diverse and loyal audience.
The Center for Arts Natick believes the arts are essential to a complete human experience and to the creation of a vibrant, healthy community. TCAN serves the Boston MetroWest region by increasing opportunities to experience, participate in, and learn about the arts. To this end, TCAN strives to present arts programs of the highest standard that are available to everyone. TCAN dedicates its resources to providing community access to diverse arts programs, reducing barriers to attendance, and building appreciation through arts education.
If you’re in the Boston or Metro West area, please stop by TCAN to see the wonderful gallery displays of artworks by many talented visual artists, as well as excellent live music performances and stage plays. The gallery is open whenever the box office is open, so please check hours here.
As always, many of my own photos were taken on the waterways of the Charles River watershed.
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Natick Center Cultural District logo
Folks, now that some areas have opened back up in a new normal, please consider supporting your local Arts communities – whether music, theater, crafts, visual arts venues, and others. All have been impacted over the past THREE years and they still need your love more than ever.
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The Natick Center Cultural District is situated in a friendly, classic New England town hosting a vibrant, contemporary fusion of art, culture and business. Click here and here to learn more!
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My brick & mortar presence in Massachusetts dates back to 2009 in several local venues/galleries.
TCAN – The Center for Arts Natick – One-woman photography show through February 2022
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Natick Town Hall – Current group exhibit thru January 3 2023
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Five Crows Gallery in Natick – Represented since 2013
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Audubon Sanctuary
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Be a fly on the wall! Please CLICK HERE to see the Great Blue Herons gracing the gallery walls.
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Remember: Walk softly and carry a long lens.™
May the Muse be with you.™
The Tao of Feathers™
A Patience of Herons™
© 2003-2023 Babsje. (https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com)
Great Blue Heron, Kayaking, TCAN, Five Crows, Natick Center Cultural District
Posted on March 29, 2023, in # Lens-Artists, ardea herodias, Art, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, Wildlife Photography, Wordless Wednesday and tagged # Lens-Artists, #LAPC, bird of the week, heron, mindfulness, Nature, wordless wednesday. Bookmark the permalink. 78 Comments.
Babsje Heron 
Well if it not a heron, what about an egret?
Great response, Denzil. Thanks for the big smiles you brought!
Why this is a “Broadway” bird’s nest of course. They are far more extraverted and showy!
Once your eyesight gets better I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of your gorgeous Blue Heron shots Babsje!
Hi Wayne – I love your notion of a Broadway nest – the full musical show with ribbons and pompoms and streamers. I’d love to see any chicks raised by such artistic parents! And thanks so much for your kind healing wishes. I sorely miss the Great Blue Herons.
I thought you’d appreciate my Broadway twist Babsje! I can see all the chicks kicking up their feet in unison, singing “Give us a fish Mother drear mother dear”
Hi Wayne. There you go being right again. I’m hearing sweet refrains of that tune “New York New York” sung in a high-pitched chick chirp. Thanks for the entertaining word picture.
remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon where a construction guy finds a metal case with a frog in it that dances! Think of the same thing but with 6 of the chicks dancing together!
Too funny for words, thanks. At least it isn’t a Wil E Coyote gag!
Thanks Wayne, adorable cartoon, big smiles.
Btw, my WordPress doesn’t allow for playing video links in comments. I had to edit the html and extract the link to see the singing frog cartoon. WP won’t even display the original comment for some reason?
You have been so brave, Babsje, and I was so sorry to hear your surgery was postponed. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be. I wish you the best in the month ahead, as you learn more patience and make your way through each day. BTW this is such a beautiful nest!
Hi Jet, yes it is a beautiful nest, isn’t it? Finding it was pure serendipity. And many thanks for your empathy about the delay in surgery. There was a scheduling snafu beyond my control wherein the eye surgeon needs to get ducks in a row with the cardiologist. Pesky ducks! My best advice to everyone? Stay healthy!
Good luck with your eye surgery. I’ve been missing your posts and was wondering what happened. I’m sending healing thoughts your way.
Hi Anne – I appreciate your healing thoughts and kind comment. Nice to know the Herons and I have been missed here!
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A lovely nest, but the only ones I can identify for sure are hummers and robins. I’m so sorry your surgery was delayed. Impaired vision would drive me crazy. Thinking of you and wishing you a speedy, full recovery when the day finally comes.
Hi Susan – thanks, it seems different from the Robins’ nests I’ve seen – not including the artistic embellishments. It’s next to a small pond and if I could see I would try to hang out nearby and observe. And you are right about impaired vision for visual artists! But I’m trying my best to make lemonade. Many thanks for your encouraging words.
We have missed you dear Babsje and hope you will have your surgery soon. Sending love and healing thoughts to you from the Scottish Highlands 💞💜💞
Hi Xenia – how sweet of you to let me know you’ve missed me, thanks for the touching lovely healing words from Scotland! I adored your own recent photo post.
There are so many degrees of patience. Difference situations demand different sizes/amounts of patience. The birds whoever they are that festooned this nest certainly had plenty of it. I love that word to describe what they did. The next time I straighten my home I will festoon the rooms. 🙂
One must admire eye surgeons and others who must work with skill and also patience.
I wish you …. not only Good Luck …. but also Good Patience.
What a marvelous observation about degrees of patience! You’re especially right that it is an important skill for eye surgeons. And I’m glad you like the word “festooned.” I look forward to you slipping it in on one of your own future posts. Thanks for wishing both luck and Good Patience!
Oh my dear Babsje, I have missed your posts and photos. Please know that you are in my thoughts and that I join the many others who I am certain are sending loving, healing energy to you. May your surgery happen sooner rather than later, and may your sight be fully restored in record time. ❤️
Many thanks for your kind thoughts and wishes, Sarah. It’s nice to know that I’ve been missed – I’ve missed being active here myself – and even moreso out in the field with a camera. Soon, I hope. Thanks so much!
Pretty nest with the ribbons added.
Hope all turns out great when you have your procedure later on. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the fancy bird nest – it was an amazing and accidental discovery on a morning walk. I had heard about some birds weaving found materials into their nests, but have no idea what bird was the architect in this case. Many thanks for your well wishes!
Wishing you all the best, Babsje!
Hi Susan. Thank you very much, and keep up the great and caring posts on your blog. Your caring for animals shines through.
I hope the surgery is a great success, and that you will be out and about seeking herons soon!
Hi Lou. I, too, hope to be out there soon, thanks much for your successful surgery wishes. I have an excellent team and confidence in their skill
And speaking of skill, I enjoy seeing your posts about carving and ships and such. My own woodworking exposure was in 8th Grade Woodshop making bookends of a bird. So you can guess the skill level. 😊
Even birds have artistic talents 🙂
What a great observation! Yes, even birds show artistry. I’ve heard of Hummingbirds incorporating colored strings and fluffy materials into their tiny nests, too.
Sending you Get Well wishes Babsje. I’m sure it must be very frustrating to wait but I’m certain the doctor knows what’s best. Here’s hoping the wait goes by quickly and you’re back with the blog and the birds both very soon! Also, appreciate the kind mention of the L-A team.
Hi Tina – thanks so much for the well wishes and supportive comments. The delay will be until early May at the soonest due to scheduling rules. It has been indeed frustrating although there have been some funny moments. I have no depth perception and totally missed my mug when pouring the morning coffee, for example. And I’m very proud of making omelets without anointing the stove with eggs and feta. I’m enjoying “seeing” the world through your lens – everything is blurry in an impressionistic manner and actually beautiful once I reached a state of acceptance.
How frustrating to have the surgery delayed. For a visual artist to have vision problems really doubles the frustration, I’m sure. Sending healing thoughts –
Yes, you’re right that it is frustrating, and being patient is the name of the game for now. I have learned a lot about using voice-to-text in emails, which helps. Haven’t yet figured out a screen reader to convert written text into audio, though. Many thanks for your kind healing thoughts.
Don’t know if it would work for you, but I’ve heard Speechify recommended.
Thanks for the suggestion, will check it out!
Every time I come to your blog, I’m amazed at the beauty you capture. You’re blessed to be living near these lovely birds.
I pray your surgery goes will and you are once again out and about with your camera.
Dear Phyllis – thank you for the lovely and generous comment. I do indeed feel blessed to have such beautiful birds in this area. The Herons are a passion and a labor of love. And I miss them deeply. Thanks for your well wishes for the eye surgery – I appreciate your kind support. Also, I have enjoyed your own blog for a long time!
Thank you for letting me know how you like my blog. Still praying for you eyes.
Dear Phyllis, you’re welcome. And thank you very much for your healing prayers, that means a lot to me.
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Weirdly Wonderful Wordless Wednesday Whimsy – Wow 🥰
I adore the weirdly wonderful wordplay in your reply – amazing alliteration! It brought big smiles. Thank you. 😊
Waiting for something that’s been scheduled in the future is hard. Waiting for something that’s been re-scheduled can be even more difficult, since that dollop of disappointment that comes with the cancellation is usually bitter rather than sweet. Even the most patient patient can grow restive; I hope things move along now, and that the precautions being taken by your medical staff lead to an even better result!
My favorite nest story involves a friend who had a cat who enjoyed lounging on the patio. One year, a bluejay decided to add cat fur to its nest, and you can’t imagine the yowling that went on when it started pulling fur from a sleeping cat! That outdoor cat insisted on staying inside for weeks.
Oh my goodness, what an incredible blue jay vs cat story! Laugh out loud funny. Poor kitty. And many thanks also for your empathetic remarks about the frustrations of rescheduling the eye surgery. Sometimes being a patient requires one to be extra patient!
What a wonderful find that nest is! I don’t know nests that well – I know Robins tend to use mud but I haven’t seen them add so many cool decorations. This bird has – or had – a flair for fashion! I’m sorry the surgery was rescheduled – how frustrating! But at least you’re able to do this. You have a great support system here. 🙂
Hi Lynn – I adore how you said that – a flair for fashion! Seems like even the birds can have their side hustles. I would have loved to watch those ribbons being woven into the nest real-time. Thanks for your empathy and support about the eye surgery reschedule. I was told this morning that the new date is May 23. That’s a full 2 month delay from the initial date, which was yesterday. Beyond frustrating. Your own webcam stint at the Heronry will have yielded chicks by then I bet! Maybe I will or maybe I won’t have eyes in working order in time to watch them? Patience continues to be the word of the day. Thanks again!
Wow, that’s a long way off! Oh, damn. I’ve often thought about what I would do if I didn’t have my sight because I’m so visually-oriented. I hope you’re listening more. I understand you have some sight – maybe this is an opportunity to learn spring warblers. Do you have the Merlin app? I find the sound ID on it is really pretty good and lots of fun to use.
I heard that last year some herons nested quite late so if this year’s the same, there may be enough of a range to see something in late summer. Let’s assume there will be. And I think public access to a camera with audio will be opened up in the next week or two. Now there’s a symphony that’s not so pleasant…I’ll take a Wood thrush or a Swainson’s any day. 😉
Hi Lynn – So funny how you characterized the Herons voices: “a symphony that’s not so pleasant.” How right you are about that. Such beautiful, graceful majestic birds, such odd croaking frawhnk frawhnk calls they make when startled. Although one of their “greeting” calls is a soft goooh sound that is so pleasing to hear in person – it feels like being accepted into their tribe. And another aaarh…aaarh…aaarh has brought goosebumps. But your Wood Thrush example is perfect and thanks for the reminder about Merlin. What they say about losing one sense tends to heighten others is apparently true – I notice my own hearing is much more acute – and not always in a gun way, e.g. refrigerator cycling at 2am, heater kicking on at 3. Thanks for the encouraging point about Herons having late broods on occasion, looking forward to seeing and or hearing action on your nest cam out there. And thank you VERY much for your empathy about how much longer my wait is. It is an unwelcome challenge and I’ve been in some denial about it the past 2 days, with an occasional fear that it won’t happen at all, which is unthinkable… As they say, Patience grasshopper.
Oh, I haven’t (yet?) had the privilege of hearing those other sounds. It sounds to me like you’re doing the best you can with a tough situation – acknowledging it, communicating your feelings, and getting on to other things. Good for you!
I’m hoping that in time you will experience those other Heron vocalizations – do the cams have audio or video only? The other one you will likely hear is the chicks in the nest saying “feed me I’m hungry.” Of course in their dialect that translates to “chih…chih…chih…..chih…chih…chih” ad infinity. Thanks for the kind supportive words – I’m feeling the urge to be in denial today – it is so gorgeous and sunshiney!
There are 3 cameras and one audio cam so they’re separate. I couldn’t get the audio to work the other day. The next time I’m on – late this week – maybe it will work.
Enjoy the sunshine!
Thanks. That’s exciting, that you might capture audio even if not synched with the video cams. Soon you might be hearing that refrain “chih…chih…chih” https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/not-art-nbr-3-brought-to-you-by-the-number-four/
How wonderful to see your post come up in my reader, Babsje. So sorry that your surgery has been rescheduled. Sending many hugs and positive thoughts your way. The mystery nest is a profound example of the creativity that flows through our world. I would love to fly over to see your one-woman show.
Good morning, Rebecca. Many thanks for your kind and supportive comment. The reschedule is unfortunate, but I was able to arrange for another set of eye injections this coming Monday in the meantime. We’re trying to repair my eyes whatever way(s) possible. You may have noticed that I have not been following your TTT podcasts? I’m simply not able to navigate the interface at this time but I’m sure you’re producing fascinating content. Thanks again.
My dear friend, the podcasts are there whenever you are able to listen in. I look forward to one day connecting with you as my guest on TTT. Sending many hugs your way.
Thanks so much, Rebecca!
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Wishing you the very best of results with your eye surgery.
Dear Sue – thank you so much for your thoughtful well wishes for eye surgery. I’m looking forward to seeing much better soon!
I always enjoy seeing your blog notices in my inbox and your love of everything heron! I wish you the best with your eye surgery – may your world become clear again for you.
Hi Deborah – wonderful to hear from you, thanks for the kind compliment about my blog. I miss seeing your own posts, myself. I can’t see much right now and have always enjoyed seeing our majestic parks through your words and photos. I appreciate your well wishes and the way you’ve worded it is perfect: may your world become clear again. Thank you.
This bird nest caught my eye.i love these Robin’s. Hoping you will have full recovery ❤️ Anita
Hi Anita – I’m so pleased that you like the artistic nest with those fun embellishments and identified it as being from a Robin. I wasn’t sure, myself, but think you are correct about that. And many thanks for your healing recovery wishes!
Glad to know Robin’s have such style
Me too. Sometimes I think the humble Robin doesn’t get nearly enough credit for creativity and is too often taken for granted because they are so commonly seen
I agree ! We might even take the sparrow for granted too!
Everything he found is good to makes his nest
Hi Marylou. I’m glad you enjoyed the way this Robin decorated that nest. It was a happy surprise to see the pretty ribbons the Robin wove among the sticks. Thanks for your comment!
Oh wow – that bird’s nest is amazing and I like the teal!
It is like a designer helped -!
And good post here too
Thanks. I think it was featured in Architectural Digest for Birds, that or Interior Design for Birds. I just can’t keep track of those glossy bird mags, though. Glad you enjoyed the artistry. Thanks for the kind comment.
Oh you made me laugh with your reply!
And I have to email you something – it relates to your comment about the magazines for birds / lol
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Enjoy posting your posts with amazing photos. Have a great day!
Thank you very much for your thoughtful words and generous compliment. I’m so pleased that you enjoy the fancy bird nest and the Great Bkue Herons!
Yeah … welcome!